Penang Forum, a group of 12 local NGOs concerned over heritage and transportation issues, has submitted a letter to the Unesco World Heritage Centre in Paris.

The letter warns that a major transportation project in Penang "is threatening the outstanding universal value of the George Town world heritage site".

The letter also points to the Penang Transport Master Plan as a “serious and specific danger” to the heritage site.

The NGOs cited Sia Boey, along the old Prangin Canal, as a case in point, where currently an archaeological excavation exercise is being carried out.

They told the Unesco centre that “old structures and archaeological relics” have been discovered.

Dated June 23, the letter was headlined “Malacca and George Town world heritage property: Request for Unesco advisory mission and impact assessment of proposed transport master plan in George Town, Penang".

However, according to George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) general manager Ang Ming Chee, this letter was not copied to the National Heritage Department (Unesco state party for Malaysia) or, her department, which is the authorised site manager.

“We were caught off guard with the news,” Ang lamented at a press conference in Penang today.

A meeting was held between GTWHI, Penang Forum, represented by Lim Mah Hui and National Heritage Department on July 29.

Lim, who is also a Penang Island City councillor, had, during the meeting, agreed to share the letter with the respective departments.

Reclamation projects as financing model

Penang Forum had earlier been at loggerheads with the state government over the RM27 billion transport master plan as the activists are opposed to reclamation projects being used as a financing model to cover cost of the project.

They launched their own version of a “better, cheaper and faster” transport master plan, which prioritises the use of trams instead of light rail transit systems, but the proposal was rejected by the Penang government.

Meanwhile, GTWHI and the National Heritage Department would now have to prepare a report to respond to Penang Forum’s claims, Ang said.

“Various parties may have different views but we believe all stakeholders can find common ground in contributing to the betterment of Penang.

“We respect the rights of individuals or associations in submitting their views to the Unesco World Heritage Centre, but there are alternatives in managing differences,” she added.

Ang encouraged all to consider local parties in the case of George Town-related matters.

“If I was informed of this matter in June, I would have been able to arrange a meeting between representatives for World Heritage Centre during the World Heritage session in Turkey in July,” Ang said.

“Unfortunately, I was not given the opportunity by Penang Forum."

She said GTWHI is now working closely with the National Heritage Department, and she asked Penang Forum to cite the sources of references on the many statements and suggestions it has included in the documents to the World Heritage Centre.

“This is crucial to prevent readers from misunderstanding or misinterpreting the context the document wishes to deliver,” Ang said.

On issues related to Sia Boey, she urged the NGOs not to make any assumptions as the archaeological works are in fact work in progress.