GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Hill Festival (PHF) 2022 is expected to be a lively affair when it makes its much anticipated return from August 5 to 7 after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it celebrates its recent recognition as a Unesco biosphere reserve.
Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said PHF 2022 will have something for everyone, from heritage and nature walks, to photo exhibitions and competitions, as well as the popular Music on the Hill event.
To celebrate Penang Hill’s Unesco recognition, this year’s festival will also have free talks and expert panel sessions about the biosphere, conservation and the history of the area, he said.
Among the speakers lined up include population genetics expert Prof Siti Azizah Mohd Nor, Primate Research and Conservation Lab founder Nadine Ruppert, Centre of Marine and Coastal Studies researcher Abe Woo Sau Pinn and acclaimed author Mike Gibby, who has written several books on Penang Hill.
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“We want them to share their experiences in terms of how we go about the conservation and managing the biosphere reserve,” Cheok told The Vibes when met at Komtar.
Cheok said part of the reason they chose to engage experts to speak at the festival was to help educate the public on the need to find a balance between socio-economic activities and nature conservation, especially since not the entire 12,681ha of Penang Hill is gazetted as a protected area.
Meanwhile, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry Penang director Jonathan Freddy P. Bagang said the ministry is ready to support PHF 2022 through available grants. – The Vibes, April 26, 2022
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