Penang Birdnest Heritage
Penang News
Is there a Penang Birdnest Heritage? There seems to be quite a bit of controvesy about converting old colonial houses into homes for swiftlets. Share your views below.
According to Carole Loh, president of the Association of Swiftlet Nest Industry or ASNI, swiftlets are part of Georgetown's heritage. They have been there even before it was accorded the UNESCO World Heritage status. It had not affected their decision to grant it that status even though there were swiftlet houses there.
According to her, the birds are Penang's living heritage. That it is not fair for the state government to force them to move when they were permitted to operate under the Application of License for Bird's Nest Industry, Penang, 2005 guidelines.
She also emphasised that there is a misconception that swiftlet droppings would destroy the facade of the heritage buildings. She says that these swiftlets only defeacate inside the bird houses.
The government have given them till December 2010 to relocate these swiftlets.
Howerve, Khoo Salma Nasution, president of the Penang Heritage Trust or PHT, said that the government's decision to allow the swiftlets homes to be there for another year would be in breach of Unesco's heritage management guidelines.
What do you think? Should Penang swiftlet homes be allowed to remain there? Share your views here
Heritage Houses of Penang (Paperback)
by Khoo Salma Nasution, photos by Halim Berbar
'Contemporary Penang is no longer a pristine island but a modern metropolis...urban aesthetic and architecture which have been taken for granted for decades are now re-appreciated. With growing international interest and the efforts of a local heritage movement, identity and traditions are being renewed.
In the 21st century, a new generation has come to appreciate what Penang has to offer. Substance has always been there and, with a little polish, Penang's heritage homes are beginning to glisten in what Peter Carey calls that almost perfect island. Homes of Penang poses a stunning legacy of cultural and historical insights through the architectural styles of Penang dwellings.
These styles, which envelops the form, the structure, and the overall culture and attitude of living, takes you on a vivid journey through space and time. In this book, Khoo Salma Nasution will take you through the growth of the Penang home from its traditional roots in Anglo-Malay housing styles to the eclectic mixed abode of today.
About the Author
The writer is Penang's foremost historian and conservationist Khoo Salma Nasution who has researched and authored a number of well-received publications on her areas of interest. The lavish photographs in the book are the work of internationally acclaimed French photographer Halim Berbar who also runs a photo agency based in Kuala Lumpur.
Get your copy of Herigage Houses of Penang here
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