The failure of George Town and Malacca to get listed under the Unesco World Heritage City Listing was due to, among others, the destruction of original historical structures and over commercialisation of conserved areas in the two cities.

Unesco Heritage Committee decided during a meeting in Durban, South Africa last month, not to include George Town and Malacca among the 17 heritage cities it approved.

Unesco's global heritage list now has 812 heritage sites including 628 cultural, 160 natural and 24 combined heritage areas.

George Town, which earlier wanted to submit a solo bid, was compelled by the federal government to make a joint application with Malacca.

Save Ourselves (SOS) secretary Ong Boon Keong pointed an accusing figure at Malacca blaming the state as the culprit in spoiling the chance of George Town to obtain heritage city status

He claimed that the failure of George Town to become a heritage city was partly due to the 'extra baggage' - Malacca.

"Otherwise, George Town would have been on the listing," Ong said.

This was Malacca's second bid. It also failed the first time.

According to Ong, Malacca was judged to have lacked authencity in heritage conservation and preservation.

To bid again

For instance, Malacca town centre, promoted and marketed as a historical town, has been landscaped into a resort-style city which has nothing to do with the heritage of the area.

Ong, however, said the Penang government should also be blamed for not enforcing its own comprehensive conservation policy in heritage areas.

The Museum and Antiquities Department director-general Adi Taha has put on a brave front by announcing that Malaysia would bid again for Unesco listing.

Ong suggested that the federal government should have put its house in order before applying again for heritage listing, by implementing the proposed heritage conservation amendments to the Town and Country Planning Act 1979.

Last month, Tanjung MP and Penang DAP chairperson Chow Kon Yeow has called on the federal government to table, pass and implement the proposed amendments to safeguard historical structures.

The Tanjung constituency covers a major part of the city of George Town which once housed more than 10,000 pre-war houses with historic significance and heritage value.

ATHI VEERANGGAN is malaysiakini's Penang-based stringer.