GEORGE TOWN – Penang Heritage Commissioner Rosli Nor has called for more time for state authorities to get to the bottom of the controversy surrounding the alleged illegal demolition of a 138-year-old tomb off Fettes Park here.
The investigation needs time as authorities want to know why the developer or contractor had allegedly rushed into demolishing the tomb of Foo Teng Nyong, the third wife of Kapitan Chung Keng Quee in Jalan Bulan Terang.
Kapitan Chung is said to be the founder of Taiping and is an important historical figure in the colonial era of Penang.
This Tuesday, Rosli will convene a meeting with the George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) and the Penang Island City Council here.
Speaking to The Vibes, he said heritage activists may mean well in championing the issue but should not overreact to the extent of sending a letter of complaint to Unesco.
We are all on the same side and we hope the activists can work with us in preserving our heritage and items of historical value.
“In terms of historical value, Foo is regarded as the third wife of Kapitan Chung, but her tomb has artistic value, and it should have been conserved and preserved.
“Firstly, however, the tomb does not fall under the World Heritage Site or under the custodianship of GTWHI,” said Rosli.
Secondly, he added, blame should not be accorded until the investigation is completed.
Some activists have dubbed the tomb the Taj Mahal of Penang. It is said the tomb was constructed in 1884 as a showcase of Chung’s love for Foo.
Rosli said the tomb need not have been demolished, and the developer could have relocated it as there are specific methods for historical artefacts.
“Not in the brutal manner of demolishing it,” he said.
He also pointed out that the tomb had been located on a road shoulder, and could have easily been preserved as a green area.
Rosli said that he was informed by the local council that the developer had a permit to exhume Foo’s remains and relocate them to the Batu Gantong burial site.
Part of the investigation will be to find out why this was not done.
Additionally, the state is studying the legal ramifications of the matter although negotiations with the developer and landowner have not yet begun.
The site was not gazetted as one of heritage value and the developer had planning permission to construct housing there.
Meanwhile, George Town Heritage Action co-founder Mark Lay expressed concern about how the site had been approved for development.
He challenged the State Planning Committee and the council’s Heritage Department to answer his claims that they had rezoned Lot 1682 (the site of the tomb) from low-density development to allow plans for a 28-storey apartment block in May this year.
“This has facilitated and fuelled the developer’s greed to illegally demolish Madam Foo’s tomb without a demolition permit,” Lay was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
On Friday, it was reported that Lay, on a hunch, went to the Jelutong landfill and found pieces of stone masonry from Foo’s tomb.
He is calling for the fullest punishment under the country’s heritage laws against the land owner and developer whom he said were responsible for the desecration of the tomb.
Lay is also reportedly the activist who sent a complaint letter over the tomb’s destruction to Unesco. – The Vibes, September 11, 2022
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