GEORGE TOWN: It will be all or nothing as far as the state government is concerned on the four projects within the heritage core zone and buffer zone that are now under the scrutiny of Unesco.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the recommendations and final decision on the fate of the four buildings would be known in June and if one of the projects have to go, so would the rest.

The four buildings under the spotlight are the Boustead Holdings Sdn Bhd project in Weld Quay and the Rice Miller Hotel project by Asia Global Business in the core zone, while in the buffer zone are the E&O Hotel expansion and Bintang Holdings projects.

All four were approved before Penang was declared a Unesco World Heritage site on July 7 last year, three by the previous state government and one by the current administration.

Once the listing was made official on July 7, the dossier submitted to Unesco which contains the 18-metre/five-storey height restriction came into place.

During a working visit to Penang on Nov 19, Unesco regional adviser for Asia-Pacific Richard Engelhardt said the dossier submitted to Unesco, which included the restriction on the height of buildings within the core and buffer zone, would have to be adhered to.

Engelhardt warned that when Penang submitted the dossier, it had agreed to certain parameters on the heritage profile of buildings and should have subscribed to the guidelines specified for the zones.

By not conforming to what was submitted in the dossier, Engelhardt warned that Penang’s joint-listing with Malacca could be revoked.

Lim however said if any of the projects would have to be scrapped, the other three would also have to go.

“As far as the state government is concerned, it is all or nothing, as all four were approved before Penang was listed and followed the same guidelines.

“Why the double standard when Malacca state government had even approved the construction of the 110-metre Taming Sari tower within the buffer zone and 99-metre Hotel Pahlawan next to the buffer zone even though the Culture, Arts and Heritage ministry had chastised the construction of the Taming Sari tower?

“I understand that Malacca has already received part of the RM50 million which was allocated for heritage conservation purposes by the federal government for both Penang and Malacca.

“Why is Penang being treated differently?” Lim said.