The demolition of several ancillary buildings to the iconic Runnymede Hotel in Penang were according to the planning permission granted to the developer by the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) in 1999, said state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow.

Runnymede Hotel, located on the seafront of Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah (formerly Northam Road), was reportedly home to Sir Stamford Raffles in the 1800s before he left for Singapore.

Save for the Runnymede Hotel, the other buildings were demolished on the second day of the Chinese New Year, on Tuesday.