THE KEY HANDOVER CEREMONY OF GEORGE TOWN HERITAGE HABITAT SEED FUND

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR THE KEY HANDOVER CEREMONY OF GEORGE TOWN HERITAGE HABITAT SEED FUND, NO. 1, LORONG MUDA, GEORGE TOWN, PULAU PINANG

30 April 2022

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Jailani bin Muhamed Yunus
Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr. Mohamad Farazi bin Johari
Pegawai Kewangan Negeri Pulau Pinang

Yang Berhormat Teh Lai Heng
Setiausaha Politik kepada Ketua Menteri dan ADUN KOMTAR

Yang Berhormat Daniel Gooi Zi Sen
ADUN Pengkalan Kota

Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Ar. Yew Tuan Seang

Datuk Bandar Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP)

Yang Berbahagia Puan Bharathi A/P Suppiah
Timbalan Pengurus Besar Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI)

Yang Berusaha Dr Ang Ming Chee

Pengurus Besar George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI)

Yang Berbahagia Pejabat Tanah, Dato’ Haji Zulkifli bin Long

Pengarah Pejabat Tanah dan Galian Negeri Pulau Pinang

 

Yang Berbahagia Dato' Seri Stephen Yeap Leong Huat and Puan Janice Yeap from the Estate of Yeap Chor Ee (Deceased)

Ar. Ooi Sze Meng
Director of SM Ooi Architect

 

 

Puan Thor Saw Khim

Project Director for 7DSM SDN. BHD.

 

Mr Lee Chin Poh and family

 

Members of the Press and Ladies & Gentlemen

Good afternoon to all of you.

It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the Key Handover Ceremony of the George Town Heritage Habitat Seed Fund, No. 1, Lorong Muda, George Town, Pulau Pinang.

The George Town Heritage Habitat Seed Fund project is one of the initiatives by the State Government of Penang to protect the Outstanding Universal Values of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. This project was allocated a RM3 million budget, and GTWHI was tasked to collaborate with heritage premises owners who have been hosting long-term tenants with low rental.

I am glad to announce that 4 units of Category 2 heritage shophouses buildings were successfully restored under the George Town Heritage Habitat Seed Fund project, benefiting both the building owners as well as the tenants, and have enhanced the Outstanding Universal Values of George Town World Heritage Site.

These projects are:

• Restoration of 23 Lebuh Queen which commenced on 10 August 2020 and was completed on 24 April 2021 at the cost of about RM380,000. The premises is owned by Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi and tenanted by Lee Say Kwang and family.

• Restoration of 25 Lebuh Queen which commenced on 10 August 2020 and was completed on 25 May 2021 at the cost of about RM300,000. The premises is owned by Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi and tenanted by Ooi Cheng Leong and family.

• Restoration of 42A, Lebuh Bishop that commenced on 8 March 2021 and was completed on 30 August 2021 at the cost of about RM260,000. The premises is owned by Persatuan Sun Wui Pulau Pinang and tenanted by Madam Cheah Ching Lian.

• Restoration of 1 Lorong Muda that commenced on 5 November 2021 and was completed on 31 March 2022 at the cost of about RM200,000. The building is owned by the Estate of Yeap Chor Ee (Deceased) and tenanted by Mr Lee Chin Poh and family.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Unlike the physical upgrading works of modern buildings, physical changes on heritage buildings due to restoration and repair projects are limited. More often than not, costs were invested on structures that one hardly sees, such as the roof, timber members, and structural walls. We understand the importance of these foundations, and therefore are willing and committed to finance heritage restorations to safeguard the authenticity and attributes of these heritage shophouses.

Through the George Town Heritage Habitat Seed Fund, we see the examples and effects of long-term building owner-tenant bonding, in particular, within the George Town heritage enclave. The common story is that the great grandparents of these families rented the premises from the great grandparents of the owners. Such owner-tenant relationships are relationships which stretch over several generations and have been one of the most special elements of Penang’s social networking.

I hope the George Town Heritage Seed Fund project will inspire more heritage premises owners and tenants to establish a sustainable and win-win collaboration through the private-professional-public partnership, and work together for the conservation and maintenance of our unique, diverse, yet significant 83 heritage Category One and 3,771 heritage Category Two sites and buildings in our beloved George Town Heritage City.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation and congratulations to GTWHI, the Estate of Yeap Chor Ee (Deceased), the Penang Land and Mine Office, Mr Lee Chin Poh and family, SM Ooi Architect, and 7DSM Sdn Bhd for the successful completion of No. 1 Lorong Muda project.

Penang is proud to be home to these committed and talented individuals and professionals. Well done for doing your best in the project and contributing towards achieving the State Government's Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.

Thank you.