THE George Town World Heritage site is among the best-managed heritage sites in Asia, says Unesco Office Jakarta chief of culture Moe Chiba.
Chiba praised Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who is also the chairman of George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), for his good leadership.
“I think the George Town World Heritage Site is one of the few sites that have strong management mechanisms with qualified human resources.
“Another extraordinary factor is the strong leadership, where you the honourable Chief Minister is the head of GTWHI.
“This is something exceptional and it shows the highest level of political engagement which we do not always see in many other sites,” Chiba said when she paid a courtesy call on Chow today at his office.
Chiba, who was accompanied by GTWHI general manager Dr Ang Ming Chee, also commended GTWHI for revising the George Town Special Area Plan (SAP) every five years.
Meanwhile, Chow said that the most important element in conserving the heritage site was public engagement.
“George Town’s inscription into the UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008 has created more consciousness among all towards preserving the heritage buildings.
“It has also attracted people to run businesses in those buildings,” he added.
Story by Tanushalini Moroter
Pix by Law Suun Ting