The Penang government has come under fire for allegedly not following regulations in the George Town World Heritage special area plan (SAP) for approvals of hotels.

According to Penang Gerakan acting youth chief Jason Loo, such developments are prohibited in selected zones in the George Town World Heritage site.

He claimed that one unit on Church Street and two on King Street were previously residential premises but had been converted to hotels.

"According to the SAP, only certain traditional trades, religious and cultural activities and buildings are allowed on the areas so that the heritage outstanding universal values can be preserved.

"It is also to ensure that the George Town World Heritage site does not become overdeveloped and commercialised until it loses its heritage status," Loo said at a press conference today.

He was referring to a recent report by Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) which alleged that George Town is at risk of losing its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

George Town received World Heritage status in 2008, alongside Malacca after fulfilling four criterions.

The criterions include representing an exceptional example of a multi-cultural trading town in East and Southeast Asia, forged from the mercantile and exchanges of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures.

"But now the state is approving new hotels projects that have nothing to do with heritage preservation. Why?" Loo asked.

Loo said by approving the hotels in question, the Penang government is not only going against the objectives set by UNESCO, but also deceiving Penangites.

He reminded that Penang had claimed that the gazetting of the SAP in August last year would enable the city council to monitor and ensure sustainable management of the heritage zone in accordance with the conditions set by the World Heritage Committee.

In August 2016, state local government committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said that with the SAP, regulations will be tighter and hotels that submit their applications for licences after Aug 1, 2016 would be subjected to the SAP regulations.

Loo said the premises on Church Street and King Street were not hotels before the SAP was gazetted.

"So how can the DAP state government now approve the applications by the Singapore company to turn them into hotels?" He asked.

Loo urged Chow to follow the law, especially in their hotels’ legalisation programmes.

"If you don't follow the laws, then the whole (of) George Town will be developed without proper monitoring," he said.

"Can Chow and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng both follow the law with regards to the new hotel projects l in the George Town Heritage site?" Loo asked.

"The approval of the hotel projects on Church Street and King Street showed that the DAP state government is lying about heritage preservation for Penangites."