2 theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 30 2009

news without borders

Malacca and George Town briefs

NS trainee found dead
in his bed

stay on Heritage list

by Himanshu Bhatt
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: Unesco will not de-list or
downgrade the status of Malacca and George
Town from its World Heritage List, ending a
protracted controversy over four high-rise
buildings approved by the Penang government
in George Town’s heritage zone.
A source told theSun yesterday the world
body made the decision not to place the two
cities, which are jointly listed, into its List of
World Heritage in Danger, during a review in
Seville, Spain, on Sunday.
The review was held during a meeting of
Unesco’s World Heritage Committee (WHC),
which is holding its 33rd annual session from
Thursday to today.
Unesco’s decision comes on the heels of
a series of letters sent by Chief Minister Lim
Guan Eng to the WHC, outlining the state’s
measures for heritage conservation and
preservation.
In his letter to WHC director Francesco
Bandarin on June 8, Lim said the state has
compelled the developers of the four projects
to strictly comply with guidelines and require-
ments set by Unesco and the International
Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos).
He said the state was “prepared to face
financial consequences from the four develop-
ers in doing so”.
It is understood that during the review, the
WHC directed the state government to stick to
the measures it had outlined and as required
by the world body.
Lim made available his letters to the WHC
to the media during a press conference in his
office yesterday.
He said the height of two of the buildings
(both planned for 51m) in George Town’s core
zone are now required to be reduced to 18m.
The two projects, by Asian Global Business Sdn
Bhd and Boustead Holdings Bhd, are located
at the Weld Quay waterfront.
The other two projects, both planned for
84m, by Bintang Holdings Sdn Bhd and E&O
Sdn Bhd, will be modified to have their impact
reduced. Both are located in the buffer zone.
Lim sent appended information to Bandarin
on June 18 outlining new steps taken by the
State Planning Committee for heritage protec-
tion during the SPC meeting on that day.
theSun reported that Richard Engelhardt,
the Unesco regional adviser for Asia-Pacific,
issued a warning on Nov 18 last year that the
high-rise projects – all hotels – could affect
George Town’s Unesco status.
Engelhardt had said the WHC would likely
to take the plan, approved by the Penang Is-
land Municipal Council (MPPP), into account
when it reviewed the status of Malacca and
George Town.
On May 19, Giovanni Boccardi, chief of
unit of WHC’s Asia and Pacific Section, issued
a report, titled “Unesco Mission – Reactive
Monitoring to George Town, Penang”, with
findings and recommendations, following an
inspection visit in April.
The inspection was conducted together
with David Logan of Icomos.
The state decided to adopt the required
heritage compliance measures after perusing
the mission report.
The other new state decisions relayed to
the WHC include:
» Introduction of a Heritage Impact Assess-
ment to be submitted to MPPP for review of
any new development proposals within the
world heritage site should any heritage guide-
lines be contravened;
» Plan to declare July 7 as a “George Town
Unesco World Heritage Day” and public holiday
to create awareness and education on heritage
issues;
» Approval by the State Planning Committee
(SPC) on May 21 for the formation of a tech-
nical review panel to review and assess any
new proposed developments within the World
Heritage Site;
» Abolition of a proviso that allows new
development projects within the heritage site
for buildings of more than 18m in height if the
proposed site exceeds more than 50,000 sq ft,
by the SPC on May 21; and
» Approval by the State Assembly at its last
meeting of a special state enactment, Chief
Minister Incorporated (CMI), to govern and
manage the World Heritage Site.
» 16 sites added to Heritage list: See Page 13
KANGAR: A trainee in the National Serv-
ice Training Programme was found dead
in his bed at the Guar Chenderai Camp in
Padang Besar early yesterday.
Abdul Malik Ishak, 18, was discovered
dead at 5.45am after his roommate tried
to wake him up for morning prayers,
Padang Besar district police chief Supt
Che Man Md Deros said.
Abdul Malik, from Kampung Relong in
Sik, Kedah, had registered at the camp
two weeks ago.
Che Man said a post mortem would
be conducted to rule out foul play.
– Bernama
3,000 police officers and
men for by-election
KOTA BARU: Some 3,030 police offic-
ers and men will be deployed for the
Manek Urai by-election starting from
nomination day on July 6 to polling
day on July 14.
Kelantan police chief SAC I Datuk
Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the first
group of about 1,200 men would be
dispatched just before nomination
day.
“The deployment will be made in
six batches with the final one just
after polling day,” he said.
On campaign permits, he said they
Teng Bee’s would be issued by the Kuala Krai
mother police chief but as the state police
shows her chief, he could cancel
photographs campaigns that
at a press contravened the
conference rules – Bernama
yesterday

Family of dead dancer cries foul

by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The family of a
23-year-old nightclub entertainer
reported to have died in a road
accident in Bukit Jalil about two
weeks ago alleged yesterday
there may have been foul play in
her death.
Yeap Teng Bee, a pole dancer
at the nightspot in Puchong, was
returning home to Serdang in a
car driven by a boyfriend on June
18 when she complained that she
was not feeling well.
According to her father, lorry
driver Yeap Hock Chuan, 51, the
boyfriend had said he pulled over
by the roadside to allow Teng Bee
to vomit.
He said the man had lodged a
report with Kuala Lumpur traffic
police claiming that while she
was doing so, a car crashed into
the rear of his car killing Teng
Bee, the youngest of Yeap’s five
children.
Yeap said he learnt that his
daughter was in the nude when
her body was found lying next to
the car.
The boyfriend said in his
report he saw two cars speeding
off from the scene.
Yeap said he found out that
before Teng Bee left in the
car with the man, both were
engaged in an argument at the
nightclub.
He said the boyfriend, who is
married, had wanted to call off
their affair.
He said traffic police had
classified the case as death in
a hit-and-run accident, and a
post mortem showed Teng Bee
had died of multiple injuries as a
result of the accident.
Yeap, who was accompanied
by his wife, Toh Lit Tooh, 48, and
their sons Wei Pin and Wei Siong,
had sought the help of MCA
Public Services Bureau chief
Datuk Michael Chong yesterday
to investigate the case.
He said he had told his
daughter he disapproved of her
relationship with her boyfriend.
On Saturday, Yeap lodged a
report with the Kuala Lumpur
traffic police urging them to
conduct a detailed investigation
into his daughter’s death.
He said he met Kuala Lumpur
CID chief SAC II Datuk Ku Chin
Wah yesterday and was assured
of a thorough investigation.
Ku said although Teng Bee’s
remains have been cremated,
the police investigators will coor-
dinate with traffic police to look
into Yeap’s allegations.
According to a traffic police
source, the investigating officer
who went to the scene found
Teng Bee’s body fully clothed and
covered with a jacket, and not
naked as claimed by the father.
He also said the woman’s
body was thrown to the middle
of the road on impact and was
moved to the road shoulder by
her boyfriend.