GEORGE TOWN: Penang has taken its most significant cultural preservation initiative in decades by gazetting 50 heritage items comprising sites, intangible elements and food.
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the move is a major milestone in strengthening the protection and continuity of Penang’s cultural heritage.
He said the gazettement involved 15 heritage sites, seven intangible cultural heritage elements and 28 heritage food items under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011.
"Although the enactment was passed in 2011, no official state-level cultural heritage gazettement had ever been carried out over the past 15 years.
"This year, the state government translated the provisions of the law into concrete action by gazetting 50 items, laying a stronger institutional foundation for preservation efforts," he said in a statement on Thursday (May 28).
Among the sites gazetted were Fort Cornwallis, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Penang Free School, St George’s Church, the Guar Kepah archaeological site, Cherok Tok Kun Inscription Stone and the Leng Eng Seah Association building in Butterworth.
The intangible list includes nasi kandar culture, kopitiam culture, the Thaipusam and Chingay processions, the St Anne’s feast in Bukit Mertajam and the Penang Tanjong dialect.
Heritage food items gazetted include asam laksa, char kuey teow, nasi kandar, cendol, roti canai, putu mayam and pasembor.
Wong said the effort reflected the state government’s commitment to preserving Penang’s historical memory, cultural traditions, artistic heritage and social identity.
He added that the recognition also highlighted Penang’s multicultural and inclusive heritage, encompassing the traditions and histories of various communities, religions and civilisations in the state.
"The gazettement of these cultural heritage items not only demonstrates Penang’s proactive role in heritage preservation, but also reflects the state’s long-term vision of positioning cultural heritage as an important asset in tourism development, educational research and the creative economy," he said.
Wong said all the gazetted items could potentially be proposed for recognition at the national level under the National Heritage Act 2005.
He added that intangible cultural heritage elements representing Malaysia’s cultural values could also, in future, be considered for nomination to Unesco's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
"This will allow Penang’s cultural treasures to continue shining on both the national and international stage," he said.
He added that cultural heritage is not merely a vessel of local memory, but also an important bridge in strengthening national unity.
"When the histories, beliefs, celebrations, languages, food cultures and built heritage of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic communities are recognised and institutionally protected, society can deepen mutual understanding through respect, foster a stronger sense of togetherness through cultural appreciation, and in turn reinforce the foundations of unity within Malaysia’s plural society," he said.
