BUKIT MERTAJAM: The old house has a gaping hole in its roof and the walls are crumbling. Climbing plants have overtaken the building, with vines sprawling down from its roof to the ground.
Many of its fittings, including the tiles on its facade and door knockers at the main entrance, have long since vanished. The house and three other buildings are now enclosed by hoardings to ensure public safety.
It looks like a sad end for what was once a proud landmark of Bukit Mertajam – this was the house of Penang’s first chief minister Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee.
Built in 1907, the house in Jalan Datuk Ooh Chooi Cheng now stands in haunting disrepair. It stands at a strategic spot in town, once known as Straight Street, directly facing Jalan Stesen, where the old railway station once stood.
From landmark to eyesore: The house in Jalan Datuk Ooh Chooi Cheng, Bukit Mertajam, stands neglected despite being identified as a valuable heritage asset. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
Heritage activists and relevant authorities have long championed the house as a historical gem of the town, advocating for its preservation.
The Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP), through its Heritage Conservation Unit, has even acknowledged the house’s historical significance by placing a plaque along its five-foot way.
In 2019, former MBSP mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud revealed that a study conducted by the council in collaboration with Yokohama city from Japan had identified the house as a valuable heritage asset.
Penang Heritage Trust president Clement Liang Chow Ming expressed regret over the inadequate maintenance and lack of efforts to preserve the historically significant house.
“It’s unfortunate to see it neglected so badly. There should be legislation to ensure that the building owner is responsible for its upkeep to prevent it from becoming a hazard, whether due to structural risks or pest infestations.
“There may be legal issues surrounding ownership and we hope these can be resolved with the local government soon, before the building deteriorates beyond repair,” he said.
Wong, who was born in 1911, lived in the house for the first 15 years of his life before moving out after the death of his parents.
His relatives continued to reside there until 1968.
Wong’s house also held historical significance for the people of Bukit Mertajam as his father was well known in the town for his work as a timber merchant, supplying wooden sleepers for railway tracks in Bukit Mertajam and parts of Kedah.
In 1953, Wong was elected a member of the Bukit Mertajam Town Council and the following year, he was re-elected under the Alliance ticket.
In 1957, he made history by becoming the first chief minister of Penang, a position he held for 12 years until 1969. He died on Aug 31, 2002, at age 91.
It is believed that the house originally belonged to Wong’s father, and there are now 57 heirs across four generations.
The three adjacent buildings were also built on the same plot of land owned by the Wong family.
According to MBSP, action has been taken concerning the four buildings – numbered 117, 118 (Wong’s house), 119 and 120 on Lot 587 – after they were classified as public hazards.
Current MBSP mayor Datuk Baderul Amin Abdul Hamid said the council first issued a notice to the building owner under Section 83 of the Road, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974 (Act 133) on Feb 5, 2024.
He said the owner was told to address the urgent issues with the buildings, which were on the brink of collapse and posed significant danger.
Lawyers representing the owners then requested the council’s assistance in erecting hoardings and pruning the trees and vines at the premises.
The council, he said, had pruned and cut down the trees on Dec 11 followed by the installation of hoardings on Dec 31.
However, he said the council had no future plans for the buildings or the land.
Efforts to contact the Wong family proved unsuccessful.
