Rep wants new law to gazette historical buildings

Historical value: Better protection is needed for heritage buildings in Johor Baru.

JOHOR BARU: A state assemblyman wants dozens of buildings within the city centre to be gazetted as heritage and tourism sites to prevent them from being demolished.

Skudai assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hou said that it was paramount for the state to come up with a new law known as the Johor Heritage Enactment, which empowers the local councils to protect and restore heritage sites in the state.

“We do not want a repeat of what happened to the Wong Ah Fook Mansion which was demolished recently,” he said in his speech at the state assembly.

Dr Boo added that presently the National Heritage Act 2005 and Town and Country Planning Act 1976 empowers the state government and the local councils to draw up a list of heritage sites.

“But there are grey areas as the heritage commissioner is under the Tourism and Culture Ministry and they are the ones who have the final say on the status of heritage sites suggested by the state and local councils,” he added.

It was reported earlier that a landowner had demolished the 150-year old mansion without a valid permit from the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB).

Wong Ah Fook was the chief government contractor who built some of the more recognisable heritage buildings here including Istana Besar, Balai Zaharah, the residence of first Mentri Besar Datuk Jaafar Mohamed at Bukit Senyum and the Johor Baru prison in Jalan Ayer Molek.

Dr Boo added that the other sites proposed to be gazetted as heritage sites include Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim, Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar, Masjid India Johor Baru, Hindu Temple in Jalan Ungku Puan, Sikh Gurdwara, Johor Baru High Court building, Chinese Temple in Jalan Trus, Chinese Heritage Museum, The Church of Immaculate Conception Jalan Gereja and the old railway station.

Others include the old Ayer Molek prison, Convent school, Foon Yew high school along Jalan Stulang Laut and other buildings along Jalan Dhoby, Jalan Segget, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Jalan Duke and Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

Dr Book also urged the state government to set up a Hindu Endowment Fund similar to the one in Penang.

He also urged the state government to gazette a total of 10,872ha of mangrove areas along the Straits of Malacca as a permanent forest reserve.

He said that the Benut Permanent Forest Reserve was destroyed due to illegal land clearing, pollution and soil erosion.

“Poor enforcement from the Forestry Department resulted in the illegal land clearing of 150ha for shrimp farming,” he said, urging that a Mangrove Forest Conservation Enactment be set up to protect the state’s mangroves.

He also suggested that a committee be formed to study the environmental and economic impact of the destruction of the mangrove in Sg Pulai and land reclamation being carried out along the Tebrau Straits.