GEORGE TOWN: Pubs, museums and boutiques should make way for traditional arts, culture and cuisines if the Unesco World Heritage Site in Penang is to be preserved.
A heritage activist, Mark Lay, said there were now too many entertainment outlets, boutique hotels and other tourist attractions within the heritage zone in the city.
He pointed out that these were not part of the local tradition or heritage and should be relocated elsewhere, such as Komtar. “Instead, we should have more places where people could experience our culture, admire our arts and craft and sample the heritage cuisine,“ he said.
The emphasis should be more on conservation rather than tourism, he added.
“We need policies and a commitment that can help us preserve and uphold the universal values of a living heritage and this has to be done at all costs, Lay said. He is also co-founder of the George Town Heritage Action Group.
He said rapid gentrification had led to many of the properties being sold to wealthy foreigners, forcing locals to leave because they could no longer afford to live there.
Lay proposed that property owners who evicted their tenants should not be allowed to change the status of their property from residential to commercial. He said the free market speculation that had forced prices beyond the reach of locals should also be curtailed.
“Some of the streets, where some people still live, such as Prangin Street, should be adopted by the state government to prevent any subtle eviction,“ he said.
George Town is celebrating its 11th anniversary as a Unesco World Heritage Site on July 7.
