Restoration of state museum ongoing

The 200-year-old Penang State Museum in Farquhar Street, George Town, has been closed for restoration since 2017. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

RESTORATION work at the 200-year-old Penang State Museum has resumed after it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said work was on track and is expected to be completed by next year.

“Restoring the museum is not an easy task as a lot of delicate work is involved to complete it in its original form, ” said Yeoh during a visit to the museum recently.

Both the projects in Farquhar Street and at its branch in Macalister Road are undertaken by the Public Works Department.

“The state museum is a symbol of Penang’s identity and the restoration would spur the tourism economy, ” he added.

The 52-year-old museum in Farquhar Street was closed on April 15,2017.

Restoration work was originally scheduled to be completed in 2020 but was hampered by the pandemic.

The RM20mil project is carried out by the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation under a new initiative called the Museum and Art Gallery Network.

The iconic building, which also once housed the Penang Free School (1821-1927) and Hutchings School (1928-1960), had not been upgraded since its inception in 1817.