A letter to Unesco on Sia Boey has raised the ire of the Penang state authorities. This proposed site for the transport hub is just across the 12m-wide Jalan Dr Lim Chwee Leong (formerly Prangin Road) from the Heritage Zone. Furthermore, excavations at the site have unearthed artefacts of historical significance and Unesco may want to make it part of the heritage zone, for the good, not bad, of Penang.

The Penang heritage site is not a local matter. It is one of the world’s heritage sites, so declared by Unesco. As such, it should have been a matter of courtesy for the Penang state authorities to get the views of Unesco on turning Sia Boey into a transport hub which is a high-activity area.

Why did the state authorities keep their plan a secret from Unesco? Some excavation works are ongoing at the site. Does this mean the site had already been approved for the transport hub?

On the one hand, the state says that the proposal to turn Sia Boey into a transport hub is not finalised yet. On the other, it says Penang Forum’s letter has potentially sabotaged the plan. What sense is to be made of these contradictory statements?

Lim Mah Hui of the Penang Forum is accused of being discourteous to the state government for not informing it of his letter. But what about the greater discourtesy of the state government not informing Unesco of its grand plan that could adversely affect the Heritage Zone for good as the 12m-wide road is not a sufficient or proper buffer between the two?

The secretive manner of trying to turn Sia Boey into a transport hub without seeking the opinion or views of Unesco is reminiscent of the way three rows of shop-houses in the residential zone of Desa Jelita, Permatang Damar Laut, were re-zoned by the State Planning Committee from ‘residential’ to ‘industrial’ without consulting the Department of Environment, which says it does not approve the conversion as it is in breach of laws.

Yet factories operating in them illegally were legalised, giving the excuse that legal action to evict them could not proceed as the enforcement officers could not get access into the illegal factories to take photographic evidence. And this was after the residents were first told that the small industries were operating illegally and would be evicted.

The Penang Forum is thus right to have sought the opinion of Unesco before it is too late.

What meaning does the slogan “cleaner, greener, safer and healthier Penang” have when even residential zones can be converted to industrial zones? This implies that those contributing to the coffers of Penang can be exempted from laws.