Penang celebrates the inscription of the city as a World Heritage City by UNESCO and the government has set July 7 as a public holiday for Penang every year. This public holiday is uniquely celebrated in Penang and not in any other states in Malaysia. But do you know that on this special day, there is actually a celebration of Penang’s heritage culture right in the heart of Georgetown?

Why is Penang Heritage Day on 7-July?

George Town World Heritage Day is a public holiday in Penang, to commemorate the inscription of George Town as a World Heritage City by UNESCO.

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LENGGONG: The Tourism and Culture Ministry has initiated a move to obtain Unesco World Heritage Site status for three more places in Malaysia.

Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz listed the three areas, namely the Royal Belum State Park in Gerik, Perak; the Quartz Ridge of Gombak, Selangor and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia, a green lung.

The text of his speech was read out by ministry secretary-general Datuk Ab Ghaffar A Tambi at the launch of the Lenggong Carnival 2017 at Dataran Lenggong here last Saturday night, held in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the recognition of the Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley as a World Heritage Site.

In his speech, Nazri informed that the ministry had sent a tentative list of documents to Unesco prior to furnishing a complete dossier on the three sites.

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GEORGE TOWN: The first day of the George Town Heritage Celeb­rations 2017 unveiled the historical parts of the city during a heritage trail around one of its busiest areas – the Chowrasta Market.

The route, led by facilitator Khor Muling, covers popular sites such as Tamil Street, Kuala Kangsar Road, Cintra Street, Campbell Street and Penang Road.

“There are many shops with traditional trades here. A street can have many names according to the people who have lived there before.

“For example, Cintra Street is also known as Jit Pun Huan Kay or Phah Phau Kay to locals in reference to the place the Japanese frequented to look for geishas,” said Khor at the “Walky Talky George Town” trail yesterday.

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Melaka is a living legacy of a rich diverse heritage with an old world charm that is a great attraction for visitors who can enjoy a relaxed vacation among the sights and sounds of this UNESCO World Heritage city.

The origins of Melaka is shrouded in antiquity. There are also contradictory versions of how the name Melaka originated – from the Mulagah fish or the pokok Melaka tree. However, what has remained constant through the ages is the significance of Melaka as a trading post that attracted Chinese, Arab, Indian and Javanese sea merchants. Next came the Europeans, with Portuguese occupation lasting for almost 130 years. This was followed by Dutch suzerainty, who were in turn succeeded by the British.

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Accessible only by boat or plane, the wilderness of Mulu National Park covers about 544 square miles, an area equal to the size of Singapore. It is home to some of the largest documented cave systems on the planet, and populated by bats and other rare wildlife. After a former successful collaboration, the National Park Management asked CTG Security Matrix, a Bosch Integrator, for advice on how to best monitor the area’s remote sites. Taking all of the camera requirements and environmental factors into consideration, three Bosch MIC IP starlight 7000 HD PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras were the perfect choice for this harsh environment.

Conditions could not be more challenging than in Borneo’s tropical rainforest, where temperatures reach up to +30 degrees Celsius and humidity can be as high as 100 percent.

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Experience the best of Melaka even for a short 2-day trip.

The historic hub of Melaka hosts tourists all year round. It houses the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site and has umpteen options for eating local food and exploring famous fort ruins. Melaka was originally a local fishing village. It grew to be a perfect blend of tradition and culture, being one of the few multi-linguistic states of Malaysia. I fondly call it Mini Penang, due to the resemblance of tourist spots and similarity of food. If you have planned a 2-day trip to Melaka, here’s what you can do in the short span of time.

Day 1

Dutch Square

Head to Dutch Square at Bandar Hilir in the morning and bask in the sunlit scenes of historic terracotta buildings, colourful trishaws and cute street shops.

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IT was indeed my lucky week in mid-May, when the distant planets of the universe conspired and brought together three of my favorite things—diving, caving and jazz music (in that particular order).

The fact that it happened in the charming resort city of Miri in Sarawak, Malaysia, during the Borneo Jazz Festival made it a consummate and multisensorial experience.

Located on the northern central part of Borneo island, which boasts of a rich biodiversity, Miri is one of the unheralded diving havens in this part of the world.In between the sizzling performances in the two-day jazz fest, the event organizers took us to Miri’s underwater world via Co.Co. Dive, Sarawak’s one and only Padi 5-Star Dive Center.

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If you like your towns and cities steeped in history, with atmospheric streets lined with heritage architecture, George Town in Malaysia should be on your travel bucket list. George Town is one of those rare frozen-in-time cities which mingles with today’s modern lifestyle lusts. It caters for the history buff and travel photographer but also the shopaholic and foodie fanatic.

George Town, the capital city of Penang state, is located on Penang Island in the North-West of Malaysia. It might be Malaysia’s second largest city after Kuala Lumpur, but it’s nowhere near as crazy and in your face as the country’s capital. Especially in its quaint old town centre.

We fell in love with George Town five years ago and have been going back ever since.

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The streets and alleyways of Chinatown on the west bank of the Melaka River are the nerve centre of Melaka and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city’s most fascinating area for a wander.

Begin from the river along Heeren Street (officially Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock), formerly Heeren­straat or “Gentlemen’s Street” and the address of the upper-crust since Dutch times. From the mid-18th century to the early 20th century this was the choice neighbourhood for wealthy Straits Chinese (Peranakan) who had made it big in the rubber trade. Many of the flamboyant “Chinese Baroque” homes have been restored and converted to hotels, guesthouses, antique shops and museums.

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One thing is for sure: Penang will change in many ways during the next few years. Frances Wilks looks at some of the ways the island’s future can be shaped positively rather than destructively, and be life-enhancing, rather than soul destroying.

Many of us feel ambivalent– or even downright negative – about the changes that are taking place in Penang. The incessant building, the increase in heavy lorries, the strain on infrastructure, the dirt, the noise, and the increased pollution all take their toll. And, above all else, the degradation of the environment – trees are cut down, hill slopes compromised, and beautiful vistas destroyed. In some ways, Penang is a victim of its own success.

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