Second heritage listing

I came across a bit of news the other day. It was one of those routine-looking reports that one almost scrolls past. And then, I did a bit of a double take when I saw Penang Free School listed among the sites proposed for gazettement as state heritage.

Now, wait a minute. Hasn’t the school already been recognised at the national level? I had it in my head that this had been settled some years ago, and sure enough, it had, in 2018. So for a moment it felt like one of those small bureaucratic curiosities. Why do the same thing twice?

The news report itself was straightforward. Fifteen sites across Penang, on the island and mainland, a mixture of religious buildings, institutions and places with some historical weight behind them. Familiar names cropped up such as Fort Cornwallis, St George’s Church, Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi. These are the usual landmarks that one automatically associates with the island’s past. Seen in that company, Penang Free School didn’t look out of place at all. If anything, the school belongs in that same conversation.

Still, the question needs to be answered. Why look at Penang Free School twice? If it’s already a national heritage site, what’s the point of a second listing?

I don’t have a definitive answer, but I suspect it comes down to control. National recognition marks Penang Free School as something important to the country as a whole. But the day-to-day realities of land, planning and enforcement tend to sit closer to home. By bringing the school under the Penang State Heritage Enactment 2011, I suspect the state government is making sure that if anything needs to be preserved, altered or protected, the school doesn’t have to look too far for the authority to do so.

It’s a bit of a belt and braces approach. The first layer of protection is already there, and this simply adds another. Both layers complementing each other. A place like Penang Free School isn’t a monument in the usual sense. It is a living institution with classrooms, students, repairs to be made and the occasional need to adapt. And that's where, I suspect, the state recognition comes in to provide a faster response where national intervention may take time, if it comes at all. Preservation is one thing; standing still is another.

What I found more interesting, though, was the fact that this wasn’t a one-off move. The school is part of a wider sweep. There are 15 sites in all, stretching from the island to the mainland, which suggests a certain intent to draw a clearer boundary around what Penang considers worth keeping, not just for visitors or for show, but for itself. 

In the end, maybe it comes down to instinct. Places like this have been around long enough to outlast fashions and policies, but not necessarily neglect or indifference. If putting an extra layer of protection helps to guard against that, then so be it. And with something like Penang Free School, you can see why no one is inclined to take chances.