Penang govt to give RM100k for refurbishment of Church of the Assumption

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is to give RM100,000 for the refurbishment of the more than 150-year old Catholic Church of the Assumption in Lebuh Farquhar here.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made the announcement when he visited the church which is to carry out the restoration works at a cost of RM2.5million from September.
He said the state would like to endorse the restoration works by making a token contribution.
He was speaking to reporters after visiting the church accompanied by state local government Exco Chow Kon Yeow and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) building department director Yew Tung Seang.
Also present were Penang Catholic Bishop Rev Sebastian Francis, fund-raising committee chairman John Lau and project architect Edmond Khoo.
The works to be carried out involved extensive repairs inside and outside the church, with new amenities to be installed and upgrading works which includes new air conditioning and sound systems.
Lau said the works to be done is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
He was glad that Lim made the visit and hoped the public would also contribute to the project.
The church was established by Captain Francis Light after he opened Penang island as a British trading post in 1786.
The building was completed in 1861 while the last upgrade work done on the cross-shaped structure was in 1928.
The church was in the headlines in January, 2014, after a molotov cocktail was thrown into the compound causing a fire near a shrine.