Teh says ‘Karnival Komtar 2025’ will be held from Dec 5 to 7 across the 3rd and 4th floors of the complex and at Tech Dome Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
Heritage showcase, free tours and promotions lined up for 40th anniversary event, as work to revitalise landmark continues
AS KOMTAR marks its 40th anniversary, efforts to revitalise the state’s most iconic landmark remain hampered by long-standing structural and ownership constraints.
Once Penang’s prime retail hub in the 1980s and 1990s, the complex’s lower-floor shops have since lost much of their commercial appeal.
Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng said several issues continued to disrupt progress, including maintenance funding, outdated infrastructure and the fragmented ownership of podium units.
He said the main obstacle was the ownership structure of the podium floors, where most units are individually owned.
This, he said, made coordinated planning far more challenging than in malls where a single corporate owner manages the entire property.
“With different owners holding different units, every improvement requires collective agreement.
“This slows down decision-making and limits what can be done,” he said in a press conference to announce details on “Karnival Komtar 2025” at his service centre in Jalan SP Chelliah.
Teh said Komtar’s daily operations relied on maintenance fees collected from unit owners, but the revenue was only sufficient for routine expenses.
Larger replacement works, he said, had been borne by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Setia Urus, the state’s management company in charge of the building.
“Major upgrades such as replacing lifts, renewing the air-conditioning system and improving ageing facilities are carried out by PDC.
“If not for PDC, Komtar would be facing the same issues seen in other older malls, including broken lifts and non-functioning air-conditioning,” he said.
Completed in 1985, Komtar with its 65 storeys (now 68), held the title of Malaysia’s tallest tower for three years.
The 248m-high building complex remains Penang’s tallest building and its acronym is a contraction of Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak.
The mega project was conceptualised as a city within a city and it was the vision of then chief minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu to revitalise the urban centre of George Town.
There is a multi-storey podium housing entertainment, dining and retail businesses, while most of the building were occupied by government agencies, from the seventh floor upwards.
In 2015, three levels were added at the top and they were collectively named The Top@Komtar, which includes a Rainbow Skywalk and Observatory Deck.
Teh said Komtar should not attempt to compete with modern shopping centres, but instead find a specific role within George Town.
“What Komtar needs is footfall. One approach is to position it as an incubator for new entrepreneurs, offering affordable rental to attract many operators at the same time.
“If 40 or 50 units open together, the environment changes immediately. But when shops open one by one, the impact is limited.”
Teh said he had proposed a zero-rent scheme in the state assembly and was awaiting a decision from PDC.
“Zero rent means tenants only pay the maintenance fee. If PDC agrees and individual owners participate, we can attract more businesses into Komtar at once,” Teh said.
He also said a consultant had previously suggested constructing an external pedestrian linkage around the podium to improve circulation, but the proposal was not feasible due to land constraints and high cost.
He said zoning Komtar into arts, culture, retail and food clusters would be a more practical step, allowing targeted upgrades, especially since many units were not built with water inlets and outlets needed by F&B operators.
Teh said Komtar had seen ongoing improvements over the years, such as the addition of ICT zones, entertainment outlets, Tech Dome, UTC and the recent Penang Walk enhancement.
“Work to improve Komtar has been continuous. It has not been left idle,” he said.
Teh said to mark the iconic landmark’s 40th anniversary, a “Karnival Komtar 2025” will be held from Dec 5 to 7, from 10am to 8pm across the 3rd and 4th floors of the complex and at Tech Dome Penang.
The opening ceremony on Dec 5 will be officiated by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
The carnival will feature a heritage exhibition showcasing old photographs, documents and original models from Komtar’s development, alongside free Tech Dome tours, a gel blaster zone, e-sports tournaments, children’s drawing contests and cultural performances.
Traders within Komtar will also hold special promotions, while the public has been invited to contribute photos or memorabilia for the exhibition.
“We want Penangites to revisit Komtar and appreciate both its history and future potential,” Teh said.
