GEORGE TOWN, Nov 22 — Penang has already applied to list the Batu Uban mosque that traces Malay Muslim history on the island back to the 18th century, the state legislative assembly was told today.
Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said an application to list the Batu Uban mosque as a national heritage under the National Heritage Act 2005 was made, even though the current building is not the original structure.
“However, there were objections from the land owners as the mosque is located on two pieces of land that belonged to Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang and a private landowner,” he said in reply to state Opposition Leader Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff from PAS.
Muhammad Fauzi who is Sungai Dua assemblyman had yesterday accused the DAP-led state government of marginalising Malay Muslim heritage and culture in favour of its colonial British history, and cited the Batu Uban mosque as an example.
The PAS man said Batu Uban mosque and its surrounding village were well known to have been established in the 1730s.
“The mosque was rebuilt sometime in the 1900s but due to its heritage importance, it is still tentatively listed to be a state heritage building,” Wong said today.
He added that there are numerous other Malay heritage buildings and cultural groups that are in the process of being listed as gazetted as national heritage.
Among the sites listed as national heritage included Masjid Melayu Lebuh Acheh, Masjid Kapitan Keling, Makam Sheikh Omar and Omar Md Hashim as Warisan Kebangsaan Orang Hidup.
