GEORGE TOWN: Work to restore the official residence of the Penang Chief Minister (Seri Teratai) is expected to be completed by the end of July this year.
The restoration and renovation costs are about RM1 million of which 70% of the construction work has been completed, said state exco Zairil Khir Johari after inspecting the mansion here.
Zairil who is put in charge of works, utilities and flood mitigation committees, said that the renovations began on Jan 14 this year, after the state approved the move to repair the mansion which sits along Macalister Road.
Zairil was accompanied by state public works department (PWD) director Shahabuddin Mohd Muyahidin.
He said that among the factors which had hampered previous works to restore the mansion was a termite infestation.
“The PWD has tracked down the nests and they will destroy it.”
Their contractors will also be installing a new electrical system and internet connections besides upgrading the water supply into one of the oldest mansions in Penang.
Upon completion, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is expected to move in there from his private residence in Balik Pulau.
Chow had previously said that the decision to relocate there was to make it convenient to move around Penang, as Seri Teratai was located near the heart of George Town compared to his current home.
