The Penang Malays Association (Pemenang) wants the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to preserve the Malay heritage village in Tanjung Tokong in its overall development plan in George Town.

In making this call, Pemenang president Yussof Latiff stressed that UDA was duty-bound to preserve Kampung Melayu Tanjung Tokong because the village was the oldest living Malay cultural village in Penang.

As a government linked company, he said UDA cannot shirk its responsibility in preserving, conserving, restructuring, redeveloping and renewing the traditional village.

He pointed out that Kampung Melayu Tanjung Tokong was an important heritage landmark for Malay-Muslim history in Penang.

NONE "The village has existed for more than 200 years, way before Francis Light came to the island.

"How could UDA ignore this historical fact and neglect its duties?" he said.

He claimed UDA's original objective when it was established in 1971 was to develop Malay settlements in urban development of the country.

"Thus preserving Kampung Melayu Tanjung Tokong is very much part of this agenda," said Yussof.

He chided UDA for reportedly stating that the multi-billion ringgit Tanjung Tokong development programme would not include preservation of the Malay village as a living human cultural site.

Previous Barisan Nasional state government alienated and leased out the village land encompassing 64 acres (about 26ha) for 99 years to UDA in 1974 under a redevelopment policy.

Several years ago, the previous state government had also leased out another nearby 54 acres of reclaimed land to UDA for development purposes.

Nationwide signature-drive

The Tanjung Tokong Villagers Association, a registered body with 500 members, has written to Prime Minister Najib Razak to intervene in the matter.

The association has stepped up its campaign by launching a nationwide signature drive over the weekend to canvas support to back its demands.

Since UDA had declared the villagers as squatters in a statutory declaration last year, association chairperson Mohd Salleh Yahaya said its priority is to preserve and conserve the village as a Malay heritage village.

"That's the only way for us to regain our lost legitimate rights over our traditional land," he said.

tanjung tokong village 120909 mosque Kampung Melayu Tanjung Tokong stands on a 24-acre land with 300 houses, including 30 illegal structures without registration numbers, and about 6,000 residents,

According to a UDA census done in 2003, the village now has 1,026 families.

But the association claimed that the list on UDA's report showed discrepancies with at least 500 house owners' names missing.

Referring to Kampung Buah Pala development on the other side of George Town, Yussof said UDA must not attempt to emulate the arrogance and ignorance of a private developer over heritage issue.

He said given that UDA was a government agency, unlike Oasis developer Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd in Kampung Buah Pala, UDA is duty-bound to preserve and restructure urban Malay villages.

"Those were the original objectives of UDA.

"UDA can't abandon this policy in its pursuit of commercial gains," said Yussof, a former Jelutong Umno division chief and a close aide of Gua Musang parliamentarian Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.