PENANG has gazetted 63 heritage items as State Heritage and designated them as heritage sites in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the state government’s ongoing efforts to safeguard its historical and cultural assets.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai (PH – Paya Terubong) said the achievement was part of the state’s broader commitment over the past three years to heritage conservation, preservation and recognition.
He was responding to an oral question from Teh Lai Heng (PH – Komtar) during the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
Wong said George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) had allocated RM17.05 million for building repair and conservation incentive programmes involving 51 Category I and 299 Category II heritage buildings.
“Additionally, RM420,000 was allocated for measured drawing projects involving 35 Category I heritage buildings, providing technical documentation to support future conservation and maintenance works,” he said.
He added that GTWHI had also strengthened Penang’s international heritage network by organising the ‘We Are Site Managers International Symposium’ in 2024, which brought together 130 heritage site managers from 37 countries.
The symposium produced the George Town Declaration 2024, which was subsequently endorsed through the Declaration of the 6th World Heritage Site Managers Forum during the 46th session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India.
On disaster preparedness, Wong said the state’s Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction initiative had also been highlighted through the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) Panorama platform.
He said efforts to improve the safety of heritage buildings included Community First Responders training for 150 participants, the distribution of 150 fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, as well as the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at 10 Category I heritage buildings.
Meanwhile, in Seberang Perai, the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) had undertaken a review of its heritage building inventory, monitored development involving heritage buildings and organised public awareness and educational programmes.
Among the initiatives were Seberang Perai Heritage Day, heritage building conservation workshops and heritage education sessions with SMK Tinggi Bukit Mertajam.
Wong also highlighted Penang’s support for the international recognition of traditional cultural practices through several nominations to Unesco.
These included the Chingay Parade, for which Malaysia and Singapore jointly submitted a nomination as intangible cultural heritage, as well as lion dance, which Malaysia and China jointly nominated.
“Both nominations were submitted in March 2025 and are expected to be considered by the Unesco committee as early as December 2027,” he said.
In addition, Malaysia submitted the nomination of Gendang 24 Perayaan to Unesco in March 2026, with the Penang government also lending its support to the initiative.
Wong said the various achievements reflected the state government’s continued commitment to protecting its heritage assets, preserving its historical and cultural identity, and strengthening public awareness and safety measures.
He added that these efforts were important to ensure Penang’s rich heritage continued to be safeguarded and passed on to future generations.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat