The Penang Heritage Trust is a registered tax-exempt, non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Penang. Our objective is to promote the conservation of Penang's heritage, and to foster cultural education about the history and heritage of Penang.
 
   
  • Formed in 1986, registered in 1987
  • Since 1993, published the PHT newsletter without interruption.
  • In 1998, restoration of the early C20th Hainanese Mariners Guild at 26A Stewart Lane in the inner city, to be used as the PHT office.
  • Fund raising and restoration of historic Francis Light Anglican Cemetery (1789- 1892) from 1993-1994.
  • Being a founding member of AWPNUC, the Asia and West Pacific Network for Urban Conservation in 1991 and acting as its first secretariat
  • Directly instrumental in the formation of the State Heritage Advisory Council in 1994 comprising 16 NGO's and professional groups chaired by the PHT
  • Winning representational seats on State Heritage Committee, State Suffolk House Committee, Local Government Consultative Forum, State Rent Control Repeal Committee, State Planning Department UNESCO World Heritage Listing Committee, various inner city area improvement committees
  • 1996 - Phase 1 of Heritage Education Programme - talks and slide shows in George Town secondary schools
  • Inititating the listing of George Town as on of the 100 Most Endangered Sites of the World by World Monuments Watch, N.Y. - 2000-2001, 2002-2003
  • One of the main organisers of the UNESCO 'Economics of Heritage Conference' in Penang & Malacca in 1998
  • Fund raising and restoration of the 1856 Carpenters Guild (Loo Pun Hong) in 1998 - 2000
  • Partial restoration of C19th urban mosque compound house in Mesjid Melayu under UNESCO-Leap funding 1999
  • Forming Malaysia's first Heritage Youth Club in a George Town Muslim historic enclave 1999
  • Inititation of PHT Heritage Tours in 2000, touted as the best to be found in Penang
  • 2000 - in collaboration with Arts-Ed, the initiation of the Anak2 Kota programme for schoolchildren. Heritage walkabout, workshops, holiday programmes in the inner city with traders, artisans and facilitators
  • January 2000 - the first PHT Members Monthly Site Visit - on the last Sunday of every month (usually) Probably the most successful and popular activity for members - has continued into its fourth year - numbers can run into 100's - the visit always involves the host /community, tea is served, members get a privileged insiders view of the historic site or personality.
  • Organiser of the Penang Story Project and International Conference and the 4 preceding colloquiums 2001-2002
  • 2002 to 2004 Heritage Community Revitalization programme for Women & Youth of the inner city - sponsored by CIDA
  • 2002 - winning the promise of US$80,000 from World Monuments Watch for PHT to restore a building and use it as their office
  • Organiser of the Shared Histories, Communities & Cultural Heritage in SEAsia's Western Littoral Conference 2003
  • One of the main organisers of the UNESCO- Nordic World Heritage Foundation Workshop in Penang Jan 2003 on Culture Heritage Management and Tourism - Self Evaluation and Mainstreaming
 
   

To save Penang's heritage buildings in the face of modern development pressures and the lifting of Rent Control which will be completely repealed by 1 January 2000.

To promote the revitalization of George Town as a living heritage city and to mobilize support for the historic enclave to be listed as a World Heritage site.

To find interested parties to restore the state-owned Suffolk House, Penang's first government house.

To raise funds to repair and restore the Carpenter's Guild, the guild temple of Penang's traditional Cantonese builders.

To manage a community participation project in the revitalization of inner city Muslim trust properties.

To promote the historical character, residential community and small trades of the inner city, beginning with our charming neighborhood of Stewart Lane, Muntri Street, Love Lane and Chulia Street.
 
   

To lobby for the authorities to introduce legal and planning protection to protect our heritage, in the form of conservation guidelines, more sympathetic planning policies and better enforcement of existing regulations.

To help identify heritage sites and collect local history.

To give advice on the various aspects of restoration work to homeowners, developers, and others who wish to restore or renovate their properties.

To organise public awareness programs such as talks and tours for the people of Penang and schoolchildren.

To facilitate cultural educational programs, for example cultural exchanges involving architectural or planning students studying Penang's heritage to cooperate with other organisations in Malaysia involved in conservation work, to network with heritage organissations in other countries, and to serve as the secretariat of the Asia & West Pacific Network for Urban Conservation.
 
   

To recruit members and volunteers and expand the heritage movement.

To manage the Penang Heritage Trust office at a traditional shophouse in 26-A Stewart Lane, to receive visitors, answer the telephone, handle inquiries on the ground from members of the public and visitors interested in Penang's heritage.

To continue to act as an information and resource centre for locals and foreigners, interested in all aspects of our historic city

To conduct in-depth, value-added heritage tours of the inner city

To conduct courses for tourist guides with a focus on the historical, architectural and social cultural knowledge of the inner city

To work in collaboration with the tourism authorities of the State to develop trails and events that will highlight the importance of the cultural vibrancy of the inner city
- and within the same effort, to work to ensure that the needs of George Town inner city residents, be they housing, schools, markets, clinics, NOT be sacrificed in the name of TOURISM.

To work with the State and Local authorities to improve and upgrade the amenities and facilities of the long neglected inner city - first and foremost for the comfort and enjoyment of Penangites

To work with the official tourism authorities to focus on both aspects of tourism -
a. the visitor experience and how to enhance it with better products
b. the host community and how it should directly benefit from the influx of visitors

To set up and expand our resource library on heritage, our displays and exhibition materials.

To get articles, letters, comments and to publish our Penang Heritage Trust newsletter periodically and to mail it out to members.

To run an antiques, souvenirs, and heritage gift shop at the PHT office in order to raise funds as well as awareness.

To raise funds as a tax-exempt charity, and collect subscriptions regularly as we are financed mainly by members' subscriptions.

To coordinate regular heritage tours and site visits for members where the host or the community will meet to brief members

To organise periodic talks, seminars and workshops, open to the public, in relation to cultural heritage and conservation.

To liaise with other like-minded organisations and to work closely with them, lending support or seeking assistance, whenever necessary
   

 


1.

To promote the conservation and preservation of all those natural resources, buildings, literary materials, antiques, paintings, and other objects which because of their cultural, historical, architectural, or aesthetic value are considered to form part of the heritage of Penang.
2. To publish papers, journals, books, and other materials on conservation and our heritage for the information and education of the Penang public.
3. To promote the setting up of a centre for research, documentation, and the collection of information pertaining to the history of Penang, and also for training local architects, engineers, contractors, craftsmen, and others in the building trade in the art and science and restoration work.
4. To give advice and guidance on the various aspects of restoration work to homeowners, developers, and others who wish to restore their property.
5. To cooperate with other organisations in Malaysia involved in conservation work and to network with heritage organisations in other countries.

 

Persatuan Warisan Pulau Pinang adalah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan yang terdaftar dan dikecualikan cukai, berpusat di Pulau Pinang.

Tujuannya adalah

1. Untuk mempromosikan pemuliharaan dan pemeliharaan semua sumber alam semula jadi, bangunan, bahan-bahan persuratan, antik, lukisan dan objek lainnya kerana nilai-nilai budaya, sejarah, seni bina, ataupun estetikanya yang telah dianggap sebagai sebahagian dari warisan Pulau Pinang.
2. Untuk menerbitkan suratkhabar, jurnal, buku dan bahan lainnya tentang pemuliharaan dan warisan kita untuk keterangan dan pendidikan masyarakat Pulau Pinang.
3. Untuk mempromosikan pembentukan pusat penelitian, dokumentasi dan koleksi informasi menyangkut sejarah Pulau Pinang, dan juga untuk melatih arkitek tempatan, jurutera, kontraktor, tukang, dan mereka yang terlibat dalam urusan pembinaan, seni dan ilmu kerja-kerja pemuliharaan.
4. Untuk memberi nasihat dan petunjuk mengenai berbagai aspek kerja-kerja pemuliharaan kepada tuanpunya, pemaju, dan mereka yang ingin memuliharakan bangunannya.
5. Untuk bekerjasama dengan pertubuhan-pertubuhan lain di Malaysia yang terlibat dalam kegiatan pemuliharaan dan untuk membentuk jaringan dengan persatuan warisan luar negara.