Heritage activists are calling for responsible and sustainable approaches to development, land use and tourism within the George Town World Heritage Site.
 
George Town was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008, but since then development has been flourishing within the site, much to the dismay of heritage activists, who fear the city will lose its living heritage.
 
Penang Heritage Trust president Khoo Salma Nasution said George Town should first and foremost be for its citizens.
 
"As it stands, the city risks losing its people and therefore its soul," Khoo said at a press conference on Lorong Cheapside, where tenants of six shophouses are facing eviction.
 
Khoo (right) also called on the Penang Municipal Council, the state government, and property owners to engage in a dialogue with tenants.
 
"Actively look for ways in which this impending crisis in inner city housing can be nipped in the bud," she added.
 
The tenants were issued eviction notices in September last year and were told to move out by Dec 31.
 
They are currently trying to negotiate for an extension to their leases, said Khoo.
 
The six houses are on the same title, and according to the tenants, the owner intends to sell the properties, she added.
 
'Character and history threatened'

Individuals involved in hardware businesses and locksmiths are currently occupying the shoplots, with some units being used as warehouses.
 
Khoo said Cheapside is one of the few remaining residential neighborhoods in inner city George Town.
 
"The eviction of Cheapside’s residents threatens the street’s businesses, and therefore its very character and history," she lamented.
 
"It is clear that tenancy issues are increasingly becoming an issue in the George Town World Heritage Site, with a number of recent evictions affecting the residents," she added.
 
Those affected live on Chulia Street, Jalan Kuala Kangsar, and Chulia Lane, where tourists often gather for hawker food, bars and budget hotels.
 
"These evictions are also taking their toll on the city’s intangible cultural heritage, with a number of artisans affected," Khoo noted.
 
She recalled that earlier this year, the city’s last ‘kim hua’ (votive paper flower) makers were evicted from their premises at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling.
 
This week, rattan weaver Ng Kuan Soon was evicted from his shophouse at 490 Beach Street.
 
Khoo expressed her deep concern about the state of the rental market and tenants’ rights within the George Town World Heritage Site.
 
"We believe the situation is untenable," she asserted.
 
Khoo referred to the George Town World Heritage Site: Population and Land Use Change Surveys commissioned by Think City.

It showed a significant drop in the residential population of the city between 2009 and 2013, with the population decreasing by about 800 people to below 10,000.
 
Intangible cultural heritage

She said George Town’s heritage is as much about its people, their daily lives and their livelihood as it is about architecture.
 
"Yet we risk losing the rich intangible cultural heritage for which this city was inscribed to the World Heritage List," she brooded.
 
When interviewed, Quah Choon San, 74, who sells electrical devices, said he could not afford relocating.
 
"I have rented the unit as a warehouse since 30 years ago, the monthly rental now is only RM700 (for two-storey unit).
 
"But the rental for other houses around here is already up to RM1500 (for a ground floor unit), so it is very difficult for us to bear the cost of moving to other places," Quah complained.
 
Loh Eng Khoon, 55 (left), a locksmith who was born in the area concurs with Quah as he is paying only RM650 per month for the rental of his shoplot.
 
"We tried to ask for an extension of six months but the lawyer said we can only stay another three months (until end of March)," Loh said.
 
"I have no choice but to find another place to stay," he added, dejectedly.