George Town:The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has initiated a plan to conduct visual inspections of 3,853 heritage buildings within the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. This initiative involves the appointment of a termite control company and is set to commence this month.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the inspections aim to cover 82 Category I and 3,771 Category II heritage buildings. The goal is to identify damage, structural deterioration, and potential safety risks. Additionally, MBPP is in the process of appointing a qualified engineering consultancy to perform preliminary structural assessments and visual inspections specifically for Category II heritage buildings.
State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye mentioned that MBPP recently engaged with owners of old and dilapidated buildings to raise awareness about maintaining the safety and proper upkeep of their properties. This was part of his response to Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lanchang) during the Penang State Legislative Assembly, addressing concerns about the safety measures for ageing buildings within the heritage site.
H'ng further noted that MBPP has reached out to Chinese clan associations and NGOs that own buildings in the area, urging them to employ registered professional engineers for safety inspections and certifications. The number of dilapidated buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Site has decreased significantly, from 510 in 2008 to 63 this year, due to ongoing conservation and monitoring efforts by the government.
He also highlighted that MBPP can enforce building safety by issuing notices under the Local Government Act 1976 to address any nuisances. In cases where buildings are deemed dangerous, the council can invoke the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 to order necessary safety measures, including repairs or demolition of unsafe sections.
This initiative gains urgency following an incident in August where two Sri Lankan tourists were injured due to the collapse of a heritage building's beam on Armenian Street, attributed to termite damage.