Demolition was a grave tragedy

THE recent demolition of several ancillary Runnymede Hotel complex buildings in Penang should be seen as a grave tragedy of Malaysian heritage structures and buildings.

The fact that there were similar incidents in the past in different states should be enough warning that our various older structures and buildings of possible heritage value are at risk always due to ineffective state governance, public ignorance, official incompetence or just people’s greed at worst.