Balancing Conservation and Commerce: Lessons from Penang and Melaka’s World Heritage Journey

Editor's Note: This article is adapted from a speech delivered by Clement Liang, President of the Penang Heritage Trust, Malaysia. It reflects on the experience of World Heritage conservation in Penang and Melaka, and discusses the need to balance heritage preservation, tourism development, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

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During our efforts to secure World Heritage inscription, particularly in the early stages, we collaborated extensively with China. By that time, the traditional skills needed to restore Chinese temples in Malaysia had not been passed down continuously, and the number of veteran craftsmen was declining. We therefore brought in specialists from China with expertise in restoring temples and historic monuments. Many of these professionals remain active in Penang today, quietly supporting a wide range of conservation and restoration projects. They have likewise made valuable contributions to the conservation of heritage buildings in Melaka.

World Heritage inscription is, of course, something that generates tremendous enthusiasm. George Town in Penang and Melaka were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008, following enormous efforts by all those involved. Promoting tourism was an important objective associated with the nomination, and the results have been significant. Penang and Melaka now attract large numbers of international visitors. On weekends in particular, the streets can become extremely crowded, with heavy traffic and considerable congestion.

However, growing tourism has also brought challenges, among them over-commercialization. Some World Heritage sites now risk taking on the character of theme parks, even resembling Disneyland, with performances and commercial activities driven entirely by the needs of tourism and business. This is not a problem unique to Malaysia. It is a challenge faced by many heritage destinations. I saw a similar situation when I visited Venice several years ago. Local residents were leaving the city, prices had soared, and the cost of living had become much higher.

Maintaining an appropriate balance is therefore essential. This calls for coordinated efforts by governments, local communities, businesses, and UNESCO, particularly in relation to visitor management and standards for the restoration of historic buildings. There are cases where buildings have been altered without sufficient regard for their original character. This is something we must remain vigilant about.

I would also like to make one point in particular to our Malaysian friends. I am currently responsible for much of the cultural heritage work in Penang. We hold monthly meetings with city council officials to discuss ongoing conservation efforts. Repairs to any building in the city must be subject to prior approval, and any unauthorized work that comes to our attention is reported immediately. Such oversight is vital to maintaining the authenticity of our World Heritage site. Without it, a heritage district can quickly lose what makes it valuable and turn into little more than a recreational space, where visitors come for food, entertainment, and photographs rather than for a genuine encounter with its cultural traditions.

The fundamental purpose of a heritage district is to conserve cultural heritage and pass it from one generation to the next. I believe some destinations in China may also be experiencing similar problems arising from excessive tourism and commercialization. What we need is a collective effort to achieve a better balance between conservation and utilization, strengthen management, and improve the quality of conservation and restoration work.

At the same time, the protection of intangible cultural heritage is no less important. In Penang, we are making active efforts to engage younger people with Teochew culture and other forms of traditional performing arts. Through workshops and similar programs, we encourage the younger generation to learn these traditions and keep them alive. In May 2026, we honored eight individuals for their outstanding work in cultural heritage conservation. Each will receive an annual award of RM 2,000 for the rest of their lives. This shows that our concern is not limited to physical heritage. We also attach great importance to living traditions, and neither should be neglected.

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