PENANG clan jetty households earning over RM4,850 per month can breathe a sigh of relief as new state guidelines will enable them to renew their temporary occupation licences (TOL).
Residents of the wooden homes on stilts in the sea now have renewed hope of retaining their ancestral homes as the state also moves to relax its property ownership terms.
Guidelines introduced in 2022 stated that households could not own any other property or earn a monthly income of more than RM4,850.
These conditions made it difficult for residents whose children or younger family members were taking over the ancestral homes.
Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng said the revised guidelines would now allow close relatives to take over the homes regardless of household income or whether they owned other property.
“This is important to preserve the unique lifestyle of Pengkalan Weld and the marine jetties, as well as to ensure heirs can continue to obtain the TOL,” he said.
The decision was reached at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on Aug 18 involving Wong, Penang Land and Mines Office (PTG) director Datuk Dr Faisal Kamarudin and Northeast district officer Ismasuhaimi Shariff.
Wong said Penang PTG would issue special TOL guidelines for the Pengkalan Weld Clan Jetties by year end.
“The residents are living heritage treasures. They continue the heritage left by their predecessors through their daily lives.
“The responsibility of the state government is to use more flexible, grounded and comprehensive guidelines to ensure these residents obtain their rightful legal land use rights.” He said residents facing TOL renewal issues could maintain the status quo until new guidelines were issued, and would not face enforcement action.
Those requiring urgent renewal could appeal to the Land Committee chaired by the Chief Minister, for special approval.
“Officials and politicians will eventually leave or retire with time, but before that, we must do our job well by establishing and leaving behind a sound mechanism and set of guidelines for the people,” said Wong.
“This ensures that no matter what the future holds, basic rights remain protected and ancestral homes can be legally retained and passed down,” he said.
Technician LH Chew, 47, a Chew Jetty resident affected by the existing restrictions, welcomed the announcement.
Chew has been living in an apartment in Bayan Lepas for the past three years as it is closer to his workplace, but returns to his Chew Jetty home with his family during the weekends.
“I am glad to hear about the new guidelines, as I was worried whether I could keep the TOL,” he said.
The Clan Jetties have been part of George Town’s waterfront heritage for about 200 years.
Established in the late 19th century by Hokkien Chinese immigrants, there were initially 10 jetties at Weld Quay.
Seven remain today, each associated with a specific clan or community, namely Chew Jetty, Lim Jetty, Tan Jetty, Lee Jetty, Yeoh Jetty, Ong Jetty and Mixed Clan Jetty.
When George Town was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in July 2008, the Clan Jetties became part of the official Core Zone.
Strict Unesco heritage guidelines prevent demolition of the structures, while development controls manage surrounding land reclamation and construction to preserve the coastal heritage landscape.
The homes require continuous upkeep against erosion, wood rot and saltwater damage, but it must be in line with heritage restoration standards.
