MBPP has received RM3.8 million in federal funding to implement nine new conservation and upgrade projects within the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Approved in January 2026 under the Budget 2025 initiative and channelled through the Penang government by the National Heritage Department, the allocation aims to strengthen systematic and sustainable conservation efforts in the historic city.

George Town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008, covering a Core and Buffer Zone totalling 259.42 hectares. The recognition was granted under Criteria II, III and IV, acknowledging its Outstanding Universal Value as a historic urban cultural landscape.

Since 2008, MBPP has allocated about RM50 million for conservation, maintenance and improvement works within the heritage site. In the past three years, RM5.7 million was allocated in 2023, RM2.2 million in 2024 and RM5.8 million in 2025, totalling RM13.7 million. A further RM13.7 million has been earmarked for 2026 to ensure continuity of conservation programmes.

Approved Upgrade and Conservation Initiatives

The RM3.8 million allocation will fund the following projects:

• Restoration of the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower (RM500,000)
• Conservation of Buildings No.126 and No.128, Lebuh Armenian (RM500,000 each)
• Upgrading of wooden doors and windows at Penang Town Hall (RM400,000)
• Wayfinding improvements within the Core and Buffer Zones (RM300,000)
• Upgrading of Green Hall Square (RM300,000)
• Improvement works to a heritage building in Lebuh Pitt (RM500,000)
• Upgrading of Kampung Kolam public toilets (RM300,000)
• Back lane improvements between Lebuh Carnarvon and Lebuh Melayu (RM500,000)

In addition, the state government will distribute a total of RM4.3 million to implementing agencies, namely MBPP and George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), to support conservation works and heritage-related studies aimed at safeguarding the city’s Outstanding Universal Value.

The Esplanade Seawall and Promenade upgrading project has also received international recognition at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, winning the New Design in Heritage Contexts award and Special Recognition for Sustainable Development.

The latest allocation reinforces efforts to ensure George Town remains not only physically preserved, but also socially vibrant and economically beneficial to local communities as a leading international heritage destination.

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