Archaeological work still on at Sia Boey site: Ang

GEORGE TOWN: The excavation work at the Sia Boey archaeological site that was discovered at Prangin Basin in Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong is still going on and the discovery of any artefacts has yet to be
confirmed.
Director of George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), Dr Ang Ming Chee said all information released prior to Nov 16, the date for the complete report to be presented, was speculative in nature.
"GTWHI has been working on the site since January 2016, and in 2011, we already had a conservation management plan on the site. I hope the public will remain patient and wait for the archaelogical findings by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) team," she said at a press conference, here, today.
Heritage activists have been vocal on the matter ever since news broke out that the archaeological team had found an old canal and the foundation of a building believed to be an old police station or a barrack, and several other remnants of structures.
Ang said the local heritage body was now working closely with the National Heritage Department on the Sia Boey archaeological site.
The USM archaeological team has been working on the site since early March and the excavation work started in the middle of last month, while the complete report on the matter will only be ready in November.
Ang said that GTWHI, as the site manager, had requested for an increase in security level to prevent any unwanted incident as public interest in the archaelogical site had spiked.
"I understand that people are interested but I urge everyone to be patient and do not speculate on the matter as it would cause misunderstanding or misinterpretation," she said.
Ang also rejected the idea of prominent heritage activist, Penang Heritage Trust vice-chairman Khoo Salma, to open the site to the general public, saying they had the right to know about what was going on in the area.
"The excavation work is currently in progress and the area is considered a red zone as there are many bricks and steel at the location. It is definitely not safe for the public to enter the site without proper supervision," she said. — Bernama