State Executive Councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said although the state government was mulling reintroducing rent control to contain the erosion of intangible heritage, more research had to be done before it could be implemented.
“Towards this end, we will embark on a two-pronged fact-finding mission.
“One is to ascertain the legalities of reintroducing rent control and, secondly, to ascertain the actual number of units (of properties) that would be affected.
“Also, feedback from all stakeholders, ranging from the owners and tenants of the said properties, would be taken into account,” Jagdeep said in a statement today.
He said the fact-finding mission would be completed in a “reasonable period” so that the Penang Government could make a decision on rent control.
Commenting further on the destruction of heritage buildings, Jagdeep said the city council had imposed stringent conditions on the restoration of buildings.
He said the complaint by a heritage-interest group was hence “unfounded.”
“It should be noted that the Penang Government gives paramount consideration to George Town being declared a Unesco World Heritage site on July 7, 2008,” Jagdeep said.
Yesterday, heritage-interest group George Town Heritage Action called on the Penang Government to look into an en bloc heritage property buy-out by a big Singaporean company.
They claimed the company had forced out traditional traders, who were essentially part of George Town’s intangible heritage.
Soaring rent, as well, they said, had pushed traditional traders out of George Town.
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