THE George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) panel is discussing various ways to attract locals to continue living in George Town’s heritage enclave.
Panel committee member Mohd Zahry Shaikh Abdul Rahman, who is also a Penang Municipal councillor, said one of the options being studied was to bring back the Rent Control Act, which will set the limit on the rental payable by a tenant staying in a heritage building.
“More and more foreigners are owning the old buildings in the inner city since they have the purchasing power.
“After buying up these properties, they increase the rentals and this is a worrying trend as the locals may not be able to continue living in the heritage enclave,” he told a press conference at the City Hall after a full council meeting yesterday.
Mohd Zahry said the panel initiated the discussions in an effort to preserve local cultures in the inner city of George Town.
The panel also suggested that the council implement a heritage management plan, which would ensure better site management and for developers to comply with Unesco heritage guidelines.
The repeal of the Rent Control Act in 2000 saw more than 10,000 inner city dwellers with a majority of poor tenants living in pre-war buildings moving out to low and low-medium cost flats in the other areas. - The Star
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