Chew Jetty fire: Business owners lose everything in the blink of an eye

BUSINESS owners at Chew Jetty in Penang were forced to bear the brunt of the fire that destroyed their premises and goods early this morning.

Car paint shop operator Hong Jing Lian, 60, who has been in business at the location since 1997, said all the goods in his shop were destroyed.

He said the fire broke out after 1 am and is believed to have started from another premises before spreading rapidly.

“Everything was on fire, including the paint and thinner. The fire spread easily because there were many flammable items in my shop.

“I have invested a lot of money in this business for almost 30 years. I estimate the loss to be about RM1 million, including three vehicles that were sent to be painted.

“The vehicles are a Suzuki Swift, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a BMW,” he said when met at the scene.

He said he learned of the incident after being contacted by a friend before rushing to the premises from his home in Farlim.

Another victim, T-shirt printing entrepreneur Toh Aik Aun, 50, said his business, which has been operating at the location for almost 30 years, was also badly affected.

Toh said he received a call informing him of the fire at 1.08 am.

“Everything was on fire. Hundreds of T-shirts that had not yet been delivered to customers were also destroyed,” he said.

He said he would assess the extent of the damage before deciding on further action.

The cause of the fire and the total amount of damage are still under investigation.

Chew Jetty, located along George Town’s seafront, is the largest and one of Penang’s oldest Chinese clan jetties.

Built on wooden stilts above the sea, the settlement dates back to the 19th century and was founded by Chinese immigrants from Fujian province who used the surname Chew.

The settlement has been home to generations of Chinese residents since the 19th century and is located inside the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng is helping those affected by the fire.

It is believed that the fire will not affect the tourist value of the area. - September 5, 2026.