GEORGE TOWN (March 23, 2009) : The Penang government has withheld planning permission on four contentious highrise projects in the Unesco-listed heritage city of George Town in order not to pre-empt or contravene any order of the world body.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) was treading cautiously until a Unesco decision on the status of the projects in June.

He said the state had been advised by the UN body as well as the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry not to publicly discuss the matter but to deal with it confidentially.

“Until this is resolved, we want to proceed carefully,” Lim said, stressing that the state was concerned about preserving and protecting the city’s heritage.

Unesco had first expressed concern over the projects in November.

Three – developed by Eastern & Oriental Hotel Sdn Bhd (84m high), Boustead Holdings Bhd (51m) and Asian Global Business Sdn Bhd (AGB) (51m) – were approved by the former Barisan Nasional state government.

The fourth, by Bintang Holding Sdn Bhd (84m) – located on the edge of the heritage zone – was approved on June 26 last year, 10 days before George Town’s World Heritage Listing.

It is understood that the nomination dossier approved by Unesco in listing George Town and Malacca had capped new building projects in George Town at 18m.

AGB has reportedly said it is considering legal redress against the state government and MPPP.
“I sympathise with the developer because their project was approved by the previous state government,” Lim said.

“Because of our commitment to heritage, we have refused to allow them to proceed. Naturally, the developers concerned are unhappy.

“This shows we have not given preferential treatment. This is a legacy of the past. We will face it.”

Lim urged the parties involved in drafting the dossier to come forward and cooperate with the state government “so that we can present a good case to Unesco”.

He said there were amendments in the dossier that were not recorded by some agencies and that his administration approved one project based on records left by the previous government.

Lim also called on certain conservation groups not to make allegations against the state based on approvals issued by the former BN government.

“Heritage groups, in a haste to express themselves, have done heritage conservation a disservice.
“Now that a developer wants to sue us for millions, do you hear the heritage groups saying anything?”