THERE are plans to resettle up to 10,000 Malay families in George Town, Penang, after decades of high living costs on the island drove the households to the Prai mainland, Kedah, and Perak.
The Penang Malays Association (Pemenang) has drawn up a five-year plan to allow Malay families with diverse economic interests and professional skills to move back to the island.
Pemenang, the oldest Malay organisation in the country, has briefed Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak on the proposal.
Pemenang president Tan Sri Mohd Yussof Latiff said the settlement plan is confined to the boundaries of Jalan Pattani, Jalan Perak, and Jalan Sungai Pinang, covering an area of about 40ha.
"It will be called the Malay enclave, and it will have housing and commercial areas and mosques, symbolising the Malay-Muslim identity in George Town," Yussof said.
"Wakaf land has been allocated for this purpose. It was bequeathed to the Malay Muslim community by the state Islamic Religious Council."
Pemenang aims to assist in resettling the community in the inner section of city, which has become cosmopolitan, he said.
Yussof said Pemenang is also liaising with the state Bumiputra steering council, headed by technocrat Tan Sri Khalid Ramli, to realise the resettlement aims.
On why the original Malays had migrated from the island, Yussof said multiple issues, primarily socio-economic, had driven the community out.
As Penang prospered in sectors such as services and manufacturing, the standard of living was raised to a level that was uncomfortable for a significant number of Malays.
"But we cannot pinpoint living or property costs as the main reasons. There are also other socio-economic factors."
Yussof said migration was a personal matter and it should not be tied solely to the high cost of living.
However, with land now available, Pemenang sees a chance for Malays to resettle in George Town and take advantage of the growth, he added.
He called on Bumiputra agencies, the Urban Development Authority and Penang Regional Development Authority, to work harder to ensure that economic circumstances do not force Malays out of Penang as had happened in the 1970s to the 1990s.
Malay activist Rahmad Isahak said there is no doubt that the high cost of living played a significant role in the migration of Malays over the past three decades.
"The move to resettle the Malay community back to George Town is welcome and the best effort to showcase the rich diversity of the heritage township," said Rahmad.
"History has taught us that the Malays were the pioneers in Penang. It is now only fair that they reclaim their status as the original settlers of George Town." – July 27, 2024.
