CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THE CASE FOR THE GEORGE TOWN WORLD HERITAGE SITE & THE ISLAND OF PENANG

LIN LEE LOH-LIM PENANG HERITAGE TRUST

HONG KONG CONFERENCE ON HERITAGE CONSERVATION DECEMBER 2011

- 25 YEARS OF A BOTTOM-UP, COMMUNITY DRIVEN CONSERVATION MOVEMENT

- FUELED BY AN ALARMING AWARENESS OF THREATS, LOSSES & ENCROACHMENT

- LIMITED AMOUNT OF LAND - ISLAND – BOUND MENTALITY - INCREASING SUCCESS STORY AND ATTRACTIONS OF PENANG :

‘A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS’

ADVOCACY IN PENANG

EARLY DAYS : THE 80’S THE LOSS OF COLLEGE GENERAL - MAIN REGIONAL TRAINING CENTRE FOR CATHOLIC CLERGY FOR THE 1ST TIME IN PENANG : PUBLIC ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT – INEXPERIENCE & TENTATIVE COMMITMENT LEADING TO RESOUNDING FAILURE & LOSS FORMATION OF PENANG HERITAGE TRUST – 600

College General 1960’s

MEMBERS TODAY

Demolished in the early 80’s…replaced by a mall to-day

1989 :THE PEOPLE OF PENANG AGAINST DEVELOPMENT OF ITS HILLS 1ST & MOST WIDE SPREAD COMMUNITY PROTESTS AGAINST

HILL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT LED TO ELECTORAL LOSS OF PENANG’S CHIEF MINISTER LED TO INDEPENDENT E.I.A. LED TO GAZETTING OF A LOCAL PLAN FOR THE HILLS

1993 THE SACRIFICIAL LOSS OF METROPOLE –ASDANG HOUSE

A MOCKERY OF CONSERVATION?

•ILLEGAL DEMOLITION ON XMAS DAY •WIDESPREAD PROTESTS / COMMUNITY TOTALLY AFFRONTED •LOCAL AUTHORITIES FORCED TO BRING DEVELOPER TO COURT •FINES / ORDERED TO RE-BUILD •SETTING UP OF BUILDING CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL •FIRST SET OF GUIDELINES DRAWN UP

MID 1990’S : AN URBAN COMMUNITY FIGHTS DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR SITE • THE TRUST WAS APPROACHED BY THE COMMUNITY TO HELP • DEMOLITION & REDEVELOPMENT WERE PREVENTED • FUNDS APPLIED FOR FROM UNESCO-LEAP • BASIC DEMONSTRATION RESTORATION WAS CARRIED OUT • COMMUNITY HAS BEEN RETAINED TO THIS DAY • AREA WITHIN WHS HAS BEEN RE-VITALIZED

1997 : SEEKING UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LISTING

• NGO’S LED BY THE PENANG HERITAGE TRUST INVITED UNESCO TO GEORGE TOWN TO VIEW ITS CULTURAL ASSETS

• POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS DELAYED NOMINATION TO THE TENTATIVE LIST • PHT HELD CONFERENCES TO RAISE AWARENESS • PHT APPLIED FOR GEORGE TOWN TO BE LISTED ON WORLD MONUMENTS WATCH • PHT CONDUCTED THE ‘ PENANG STORY’ SERIES TO ENSURE THAT THE ORAL

HISTORY OF ALL COMMUNITES WOULD BE TOLD & RECORDED

2007 - THE PEOPLE OF PENANG AGAINST THE PENANG GLOBAL CITY CENTRE DEVELOPMENT - PGCC • THE MOST MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT EVER ENCOUNTERED IN PENANG • 260 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE TO BE DEVELOPED INTO 38 40-STOREY TOWER

BLOCKS - 7,000 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, 14 MILLION SQ FT COMMERCIAL SPACE • POLITICAL CONNECTIONS GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF

MALAYSIA • DESIGNERS FROM TOP ARCHITECTURAL

FIRMS IN NEW YORK & PARIS • TOTAL MEDIA BLACK OUT OF PROTESTS • NO PUBLIC CONSULTATION • NO CONSIDERATION FOR TRAFFIC &

INFRASTRUCTURE OVERLOAD

THE PEOPLE OF PENANG SAID “NO” •FLYERS ON WINDSCREENS •1000’S OF POSTCARDS TO THE CHIEF MINISTER •E-MAILS •POSTERS ON TREES •PUBLIC FORUMS •DEMONSTRATIONS •PRESENTATIONS TO THE OPPOSITION •FINALLY, USING THE VOTE & REMOVING THE RULING PARTY & CHIEF MINISTER •ENSURING THE NEW GOVT KEPT ITS PROMISES

FINALLY AFTER 11 YEARS OF HARD WORK, LISTED ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST TOGETHER WITH MALACCA JULY 2008

OCBC Bank Buildings

PRIVATE LOCAL ENTERPRISE SETTING STANDARDS IN CONSERVATION BEFORE WORLD HERITAGE LISTING

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards ‘Most Excellent Project’ 2000 One of 10 Greatest Mansions in the World’ Lonely Planet 2011

Suffolk House – UNESCO Teochew Hanjiang Temple Khoo Kongsi –National Award of Distinction 2008 Unesco Merit Award 2006 Architectural Award 2002

THE STRAITS COLLECTION CAMPBELL HOUSE 11 CLOVE HALL [AUSTRALIAN [ITALIAN INVESTMENT] [AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT] INVESTMENT]

YENG KENG HOTEL [LOCAL INVESTMENT ]

PENAGA HOTEL [K.L.INVESTMENT]

LOCAL & FOREIGN INVESTMENT EMBRACES HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT

OVER THE YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY LOSSES : • INSUFFICIENT CAPACITY • INSUFFICIENT FOCUS • DOING TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

• A HISTORIC JETTY COMMUNITY • LAST OF THE ‘HUI’S’ /KOAYS • NESTING GROUNDS FOR NIGHT HERONS

KOAY JETTY TODAY….

THE PENANG NGO’S TOOK ON THE FEDERAL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHO WANTED A 7 STOREY EXTENSION IN A 2-STOREY CIVIC ZONE A COMPROMISE WITH A 3-STOREY STRUCTURE & A FAKE IMITATION

STRESSING THE NEED FOR CULTURAL MAPPING BEFORE PLANNING & FOR COMMUNITY CONSULTATION BEFORE DEVELOPMENT

THE C19TH PENANG BOTANIC GARDENS LOVED BY THE PEOPLE OF PENANG & ENJOYED BY 1000’S OF VISITORS EACH DAY

SENSELESS, INAPPROPRIATE OVER-SIZED DEVELOPMENT ON A GREEN SITE

PROTESTS, SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS, OPINION POLLS, PRESS CONFERENCES, THREATS, ON-LINE BATTLES, TOTAL MEDIA SUPPORT..

WHERE APPLICATION HAS BEEN SINGLE MINDED AND WHERE THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN UNIFIED, THE SUCCESSES HAVE BEEN STUNNING THE LOSSES HAVE BEEN USED TO PROVIDE LESSONS FOR FUTURE PREVENTION

IT IS OBVIOUSLY MUCH SIMPLER TO ORGANIZE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ILL-ADVISED PROJECT THAN TO FIGHT IT AFTER THE DEED IS DONE. OFTEN HOWEVER, WITHOUT CONSULTATION, THE COMMUNITY IS KEPT UNINFORMED. IN OCTOBER 2011, THE PENANG STATE GOVERNMENT DISPLAYED ITS PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE HISTORIC FUNICULAR RAILWAY STATIONS SERVING THE HILLS OF PENANG

DESIGNED WITH NO CONSIDERATION OF CONTEXT, FORM, TEXTURE, MATERIALS OR NEED. THE PEOPLE OF PENANG IMMEDIATELY TOOK ACTION – ON-LINE OPINION SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED OVER SEVERAL WEEKS, ALL FEEDBACK WAS COMPILED AND FORWARDED TO THE AUTHORITIES. ALL PLANS HAVE BEEN SHELVED AND AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN SET UP TO WHICH NGO’S HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SEND REPRESENTATION.

In recent times, the awareness of the need to balance conservation and development has led to a mishmash of development projects involving historic structures and areas. The Penang authorities are struggling to come to some happy compromise, although this appears to be as yet a distant realization. How does one go about making both developers and conservationists happy? While one shudders at some of the solutions, the people of Penang have remained up-beat about their ability to shape events.

The people of Penang have created an environment where no politician or authority sector would now conceive of approving any large scale intervention that involves a conservation issue, whether built or natural, without at least some semblance of community involvement and consultation.

Thank you Lin Lee Loh-Lim Penang Heritage Trust George Town World Heritage Site 13th December 2011