GEORGE TOWN, Oct 18 – The state was signed a three-year management collaboration agreement with Think City Sdn Bhd and AKTC at Chantilly, France here on Friday which Think City Sdn Bhd and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) will be expanding their existing partnership by collaborating with Penang.
Both The Right Honourable Chief Minister of Penang, Mr. Lim Guan Eng and His Highness the Aga Khan will be witnessing the signing of a Management Collaboration Agreement between Chief Minister of Penang (Incorporation) (“CMI”), Think City Sdn Bhd (“Think City”) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (“AKTC”).
The genesis of this Management Collaboration Agreement is derived from a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) signed between AKTC and Think City in November 2013, under which AKTC provided technical assistance for the protection, development and enhancement of Penang’s historic George Town which was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008.
This Management Collaboration Agreement serves to expand the scope of that existing partnership and extend the collaboration period for another three years. The earlier 2013 collaboration between AKTC and Think City saw the deliverance of a Strategic Master Plan (“SMP”) and identification of significant conservation and development projects within the old city of George Town.
“A public exhibition of the proposed projects was carried out in early 2014. They are now being incorporated into the George Town Special Area Plan. Accompanying the SMP are recommendations for the policies and actions to be pursued with regard to land use, conservation and development, traffic, infrastructure, and institutional management,” Lim said.
“As the Management Collaboration Agreement marks the second phase of the collaboration; CMI, AKTC and Think City are expected to contribute significantly to the regeneration of George Town, particularly through the establishment of a project implementation vehicle known as George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (“GTCDC”), and the training of young professionals in the conservation and sustainable development of the city heritage,” he said.
Lim said that preparatory technical work has already started in two key areas; Armenian Street Park and Fort Cornwallis on the North Seafront. He said these activities are aimed at providing state-of-the-art solutions in the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces.
It will also promote inward investment and spur social, economic and cultural development for Penang, he added. CMI is the majority shareholder of GTCDC which will feature a board of directors elected from the three partners to oversee a dedicated management team that will manage, operate and implement projects recommended by the SMP.
The AKTC is renowned internationally and recognised as one of the foremost organisations involved in matters of architecture, conservation and urban planning. Noted for their commitment in beautifying and preserving cities, landscapes and buildings, a city that attracts the interest of AKTC is deemed to have make its mark on the global heritage and cultural map, a marquee testimony of one’s pedigree and excellence.
AKTC’s Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme which will be the main collaborating partner under the Management Collaboration Agreement, promotes planning, conservation and urban revitalisation in historic cities. It also undertakes the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development.
Individual project briefs go beyond mere technical restoration to address the questions of the social and environmental context, adaptive re-use, institutional sustainability and training. Its projects include major parks in Cairo and New Delhi and urban revitalisation projects on sites as diverse as Zanzibar in Africa and Kabul.
As part of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKTC undertakes cultural projects within a broad continuum of development activities that usually encompasses economic, social and cultural initiatives. In the meantime, Penang State Government hopes that George Town will attain international and intelligent status with the participation of AKTC as well as Think City.
