Penang setting up PHT Fund

Anothet interesting development in Penang.....

Questions: can this be done under the Heritage Act 2005? What benefits the corporate-donrs have under the PHT fund? Another body outside the civil service? ...

Penang setting up PHT Fund
by Opalyn Mok

GEORGE TOWN (Sept 8, 2009): Instead of just waiting for the federal government to channel the allocated RM25 million funds to Penang for heritage conservation, the state government is now in the midst of setting up a Penang Heritage Trust Fund.


Lim Guan Eng

George Town World Heritage Office acting general manager Maimunah Mohd Sharif said discussions had started on the plan for the fund to serve as an alternative source of funding while waiting for the federal allocation.
She said the fund would gather all the contributions from corporations and interested parties for heritage conservation.

"The official announcement on the trust fund would only be made by the Penang Chief Minister after the details are finalised," she told reporters at the launching of Penang International Conference on Sustainable Cultural Development website by InvestPenang Bhd executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon.

Earlier, Lee said the international conference, aimed at policy makers and local heritage enthusiasts, would emphasise on the importance of heritage conservation and heritage tourism.

"Heritage conservation and tourism is important to provide jobs and economic development for the state too," he said.

The conference, scheduled for Oct 8 and 9, is now open for registration. Participation fee is RM250 per person.

Call Miss Endang at 04-6340203 for details or log on to www.lestariheritage.net .

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state was looking into drafting its own state-level enactment for conferring of official heritage status on buildings and sites.

He said the decision was made as the state’'s ambit to accord legal heritage protection on important sites was restricted since such legislative powers lay solely under the federal government.

He said the state executive council resolved last week to take the matter into the state's own hands.

The move would give Penang direct powers to protect, rehabilitate and promote any site that it deemed deserved heritage conservation.

"We have been advised by the state legal adviser and the state planning department that any heritage site status can only be given by the Heritage Commissioner under Section 24 of the Heritage Act 2005," he told a press conference in his office here.

Lim had earlier handed over RM10,000 Hari Raya contributions to the police and the Armed Forces each in his Komtar office.

He stressed that there had not been any disputes between the state and the Heritage Commissioner's office over which sites should be granted heritage status.

"At the moment there is no such dispute. But in the future, if we feel a site deserves protection and the Heritage Commissioner does not think so, we would have the power to grant heritage status on the site," he said.

The state legal adviser’s office was now coming up with the details for the enactment.

Lim lamented that the federal government had undertaken only nine conservation projects in Penang, which were too few compared with those carried out in other states, including Malacca which had work done on 49 sites.

"Penang is not getting the treatment it deserves, especially since George Town has been designated as a World Heritage Site by Unesco," he said.




--
Khaw Veon Szu
Executive Director

SEDAR Institute
"Awakens the Nation"

www.sedar.org.my