Penang state heritage list adds seven traditions, six sites

The Penang state heritage list grew on Saturday, 10 October. Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow declared seven intangible cultural items and six heritage sites at a ceremony in George Town.

The new items include Boria, Dondang Sayang and the Penang Hokkien dialect. The sites include the Penang Hill funicular railway and the Dato Koyah Mausoleum.

The declarations came under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011. This report draws on Bernama, Utusan Malaysia and Buletin Mutiara.

The seven intangible items

Wong Hon Wai, the state exco for tourism and creative economy, announced the seven items. They are the Teong Guan Phor Thor Festival, Boria, Ghazal Parti and Penang Bangsawan.

The list also includes Silat Pelaga: Siku 12, Penang Dondang Sayang and the Penang Hokkien dialect. Bernama said they cover performing arts, martial arts, language and literature, and beliefs.

The Teong Guan Phor Thor Festival is better known as the Hungry Ghost Festival. Chow said in September that more than 200 groups across Penang celebrate it.

Chow singled out Silat Siku 12 and Dondang Sayang. He said they must stay alive and pass to younger generations, Buletin Mutiara reported.

The six heritage sites

Six sites joined the list as heritage sites. They are the Loo Pun Hong Temple and the Dato Koyah Mausoleum.

The list also includes the Thai Pak Koong Temple, also known as Ng Suk, on King Street. The Fooi Chew Association Building and the Kwangtung and Tengchow No 1 Cemetery are on it too.

The sixth is the Penang Hill funicular railway. The designation covers its upper station, lower station and track.

The state approved the six sites on 8 April, Bernama reported in September. The ceremony on 10 October formally declared them.

Why Penang says it matters

Chow called Penang a “living museum”. He said the state wants to add value to its heritage. Its tools include festivals, heritage walks, gastronomy, digitalisation and the creative economy.

He also said preservation should reach beyond George Town. He named Seberang Perai as one area with its own history and treasures. Buletin Mutiara also reported him saying that heritage work is not solely the State Heritage Commissioner’s Office’s responsibility.

Chow cited tourism figures to back the point. Bernama said Penang had 967,742 international hotel guests in the first quarter. It also reported 285,400 medical tourists in the first half, earning RM601.8 million.

Wong invited the public to send in nominations for future listings. Utusan reported that the state heritage total now stands at 63 items.