MBPP Appoints Termite Control Company To Inspect 3,853 Heritage Buildings

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has appointed a termite control company to conduct visual inspections of 3,853 heritage buildings within the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, starting this month.

State Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye said the inspections would cover 82 Category I and 3,771 Category II heritage buildings to identify damage, structural deterioration and potential safety risks.

He said MBPP was also in the process of appointing a qualified engineering consultancy to conduct preliminary structural assessments and visual inspections of Category II heritage buildings.

“MBPP had also held an engagement session with owners of old and dilapidated buildings on Sept 19 to raise awareness of their responsibility to ensure their properties are safe and properly maintained,” he told the Penang State Legislative Assembly today.

He was replying to Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lanchang), who asked about measures to ensure the safety of ageing buildings within the heritage site, including cooperation with property owners.

H’ng said MBPP had also written to Chinese clan associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that own buildings within the heritage site, urging them to appoint registered professional engineers to inspect and certify their structural safety.

Meanwhile, he said the number of dilapidated buildings within the UNESCO World Heritage Site had fallen to 63 this year, from 510 in 2008, when 223 were located in the core zone and 287 in the buffer zone.

He attributed the reduction to the government’s sustained conservation and monitoring efforts over the past 18 years to safeguard the site's structural integrity and heritage value.

H'ng said MBPP could take enforcement action against owners who failed to maintain building safety, including issuing notices under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171) to address nuisances.

“For buildings deemed dangerous or at risk of collapse, the council could invoke Section 83 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) to order repairs, the demolition of unsafe sections or other necessary safety measures,” he added.

In August, two Sri Lankan tourists were injured when stones and timber from a first-floor beam of a heritage building in Armenian Street collapsed. Preliminary inspections found that the structural damage was caused by termites.

-- BERNAMA