Penang City Council to appoint termite experts to inspect heritage buildings

GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will appoint a pest control company specialising in termites, along with related consultants, to carry out comprehensive inspections of buildings in the city, including heritage premises.

Mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the initiative was a proactive step to prevent a repeat of collapses caused by structural damage that cannot be detected from the outside.

"In the UNESCO World Heritage Site area in this city (George Town) alone there are 82 Category 1 heritage buildings and 3,771 Category 2 heritage buildings that require continuous monitoring to ensure safety and preserve their heritage value," he told a press conference today.

"So we will appoint our own consultants to inspect buildings identified as at risk, besides appointing a pest control company to examine at-risk buildings, including heritage buildings."

Rajendran said that although the responsibility of appointing consultants lay with building owners themselves, MBPP was prepared to bear inspection costs in certain cases for the sake of public safety.

Last Tuesday, two Sri Lankan tourists were reported injured after being struck by falling stone and timber from the beam structure of a heritage building in Armenian Street here.

Notices and possible evacuation orders

Rajendran said inspections would begin in the heritage area before being extended to other buildings identified as needing urgent action.

"If the inspection finds that a building is no longer safe, MBPP will issue a notice to the owner to carry out repair works, and for more serious cases, the premises may be ordered to be vacated," he said.

On existing enforcement, he said the council regularly issued notices to owners who failed to maintain their premises.

"So far, we have issued notices involving 66 poorly maintained building units and 63 dilapidated premises that require immediate attention as they are feared to pose safety risks," he said.