KOMTAR assemblyman Teh Lai Heng (Komtar - PH) has called on the state to offer practical and cheaper solutions to better manage the Unesco George Town World Heritage Site.
Teh told the state legislative assembly that the state must come out with proactive and practical solutions to alleviate the rising living costs faced by the residents and building owners in the heritage enclave.
The Unesco-accredited site covers approximately 259.42 hectares (roughly 2.6 km²), encompassing a 109.38-hectare core zone and a 150.04-hectare buffer zone.
Inscribed in 2008, it contains over 4,600 historic buildings in the northeastern corner of the island.
While debating the motion of thanks to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib’s address, Teh said the ongoing global energy crisis has had a direct impact on the economy and the daily cost of living faced by the rakyat.
It is profound in the heritage enclave too, where repair works are said to be excessive in terms of costs.
Teh said that the study by the state must be accompanied by alternative building materials to uphold the heritage site and to assist owners, who are unable to rehabilitate their premises due to the lack of personal funding.
Penang is said to possess the biggest number of pre-war shophouses in the region, around 5,000 of them, although some are located outside of the enclave, and in the southwest district of Balik Pulau and the Prai mainland.
“In light of rising living costs, I would like to propose that Penang strengthen its people-centric assistance packages with approaches that are more practical and closely aligned with the needs of the rakyat on the ground,” he said.
Teh proposed that the Pinjaman Harapan Scheme (SPH) be expanded, particularly for traders and hawkers in the enclave.
Teh added that Penang Island City Council could consider discounts or reductions in business licence fees for small traders who are currently struggling with rising operating costs.
Teh also urged the authorities to punish building owners, who are rich but have abandoned their properties or left them unkempt.
The outstanding universal value of the enclave is driven by the living testament to over 500 years of multicultural trading, cultural exchange, and exceptional architecture linking East and West cultures in Penang.
Many property owners in the heritage zone are struggling with maintaining their buildings due to the specific building materials required to first preserve and conserve the properties.
There is also a need for specially trained contractors and architects. - May 12, 2026.
