World heritage

A week ago, we were very hopeful that Penang could finally be listed as a world heritage site by Unesco's World Heritage Committee meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Unfortunately, this is not to be. Penang has failed yet again to be accorded this status.

Today, the World Heritage Committee announced the 22 sites approved by them and Penang is not in the list. Africa has four sites included, Europe and North America has eight sites combined, Latin America and the Arab Region have one site each while Asia and Pacific Region has eight sites.

Of these eight sites, the Sydney Opera House (Australia), the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages (China) and the Red Fort Complex (India) were listed as cultural properties; the Gobustan Rock Art (Azerbaijan), the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa (Turkmenistan) and the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine (Japan) were deemed as cultural landscapes; while the South China Karst (China) and the Jeju Volcanic Islands and Lava Tubes (Republic of Korea) were inscribed as natural properties.

What a disappointment for Penang! The World Heritage Committee had actually come here in April to look at the place. Apparently, the committee members had gone away unconvinced. More has to be done.