THE REZONING THAT SEALED THE FATE OF AN 1884 ANTIQUITY WITH MUCH EARLIER ROOTS

 


Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) Discussions

Mark A Lay rSsonpodtecvNl7igg6u64m5 f1am2a1be42im i4imh421mhe1of122r0l0 

So how did Madam Foo's 1884 artisan built tomb come to be demolished on 28th August 2022?

The story begins with the land owner & developer submitting a knowingly absurd application to Penang State Planning Committee on 03 March 2022 seeking to rezone seven lots 1682, 649, 650, 516, 521, 647 & 648 at Tanjung Tokong Seksen 1 (see below map) from low rise residential to high rise apartment residential on an unrealistically dense 1:4 plot ratio.
The 7 lots are surrounded by low rise (often single storey) dwellings in a green & quiet neighbourhood. The largest lot 1682 where Madam Foo's tomb was located, sits on steeply sloping land with unstable soil and a flowing stream through its western boundary. Surrounding roads are narrow and completely unsuited to high rise development.
Interviewed affected neighbours report they were never consulted and the first they knew of the rezoning was through media reporting.
We know that the Penang State Planning Committee consulted MBPP Heritage Dept for comment & advice on the heritage significance of the 1884 artisan built Madam Foo Tomb.
MBPP Heritage Dept reported back to the State Planning Committee that the Foo Tomb was of zero historical value and was not to be considered for State Heritage protection (sadly almost no research was done to arrive at this decision and instead authorities assumed that Madam Foo was simply a "baby factory" for the Chung family - a simple check of Chinese historical texts by MBPP would have found this to be factually incorrect)
Then exactly 84 days later on 26 May 2022 the Penang State Planning Committee mysteriously approved the rezoning application for the 7 lots to high rise on the requested 1:4 plot ratio under reference number JPBD/P2/LS-004/2022.
Penang State Planning Committee approving a 1:4 plot ratio on these 7 lots effectively signed the death warrant for Madam Foo's tomb, by signalling a green light to the land owner & developer they could easily escape heavy penalties for illegal demolition of the tomb.
In other words we believe that Penang authorites are mostly to blame for the loss of Madam Foo's tomb, due to, among other things, lack of political will, almost no proper historical research, apathy and gross incompetence.



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