Koay Jetty in Penang

KOAY JETTY

The Lost Heritage of Penang

1. The Koay Jetty in George Town Penang in 2004, overshadowed by massive land reclamation and

high-rise apartments in the background.

History of the Baiqi Koays

During the Yuan Dynasty in 14th century, some Arab traders moved from the central part of China to the coastal area of Fujian in China. They settled down, intermingled and married the local Han Chinese and subsequently a Muslim community emerged around the Baiqi area near Quanzhou, Fujian. The clansmen adopted the surname "Koay" and they belong to an ethnic grouping called "Hui" in China.

2.The cemetery of the Koays in Baiqi, Fujian Province, China 3.Koay clansmen performing the ancestor memorial rituals according to Islamic rites

4. A foundation stone found in Baiqi with Islamic inscriptions. 5. A typical tomb found in the Baiqi cemetery, surrounded by inscriptions from the Holy Quran.

The Baiqi Koays in Penang

The Koays came ashore to Penang in the 19th century. Their main activity then was making and trading charcoal. In the1960's, some of the Baiqi Koays set up a water village named as Koay Jetty and formed a unique, close-knit settlement for their own clansmen.

Through years of neglects and integration into the Han Chinese society, the descendants of the Baiqi Koays have largely distant away from their ancestor's original belief but remnants of the Islamic customs are followed till this present day. For example, when someone in Koay Jetty passed away, the family members will refrain from consuming pork for several weeks to 3 years. During festive seasons and ceremonies commemorating their ancestors, different set of pork-free utensils are used. In a nearby Chinese temple named Datuk Awang Temple, a Muslim deity is worshipped by the local non-Muslim residents and its architecture is a harmonious blend of Chinese interiors with Islamic motifs.

6. A Koay Jetty's resident proudly displayed a photo frame with the inscription from Al-Quran which states

"There is no other god but Allah and Mohammad s.a.w. is His messenger" in Arabic and Chinese.

7. Datuk Awang Temple, worshipped by the local residents

Koay Jetty has a unique cultural heritage not found anywhere else in Malaysia. Close to 200 residents live in the 32 wooden houses sit on stilts along the jetty. The nearby mangrove is also home to more than 40 types of migratory birds and sea creatures, the only one survived in George Town. Unfortunately on 28th Nov, 2004, the State Government discretely sent in their workers and chopped down all the mangrove trees there and wiped out the entire bird colony. 　

8. Koay Jetty, a doomed heritage settlement

LEADING MALAYSIAN NGOs CALL FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY

ON KOAY JETTY AND MANGROVE AREA

We urge the State Government of Penang to organize a full and open public hearing on this project to look at the following:

a) Heritage and environment aspects.

b) Consult the national bodies on environment and heritage, including the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage.

c) Make the plan available for public viewing.

d) Explain how the contract was awarded and if it meets all the procedures of transparency and accountability.

e) Consider alternative proposals that can provide new housing but also preserving the historic jetty and mangrove area.

All this will be in the spirit of the government policy of "Local Agenda 21" and our Prime Minister's call to work with the people synergistically.

The support group will be taking the following actions:

a) We are appealing to the developer not to proceed with the plan as it will be globally known as a "BAD" project by environmental and heritage groups all over the world.

b) We are going to appeal to the Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, to intervene. The first Prime Minister, Y.T.M. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, saved the area before and "Pak' Lah" can and should save it now. The area has become even more precious now with the wonderful development of the birds nesting there.

c) It is Allah S.W.T. God's gift that we have such a unique social and ecological heritage site in the Historic City of George Town. The links between sea and forest, between people and nature in the City is so special that it would be a travesty to destroy it. It will be unforgivable!

d) We believe the project also makes a mockery of the government policy of "Local Agenda 21". All the stakeholders have not been adequately consulted especially from the social heritage and ecology point of view.

e) There has not been enough transparency about the planning, the award process, the arrangement with the people affected, who have not been given a REAL choice.

The following 10 leading NGOs have submitted an alternative constructive proposal encompassing housing, transport, an International Ecological and Heritage Centre that will ensure that the unique Chinese Muslim Koay Jetty (which has historical links with the "HUI" (Muslim) community in China) and the mangrove, which has some 30 protected species of birds and is a lovely bird nesting place, and home to a wonderful range of sea-life, especially crabs. The unique urban, heritage mangrove park is so unique globally that we think it should be protected in a WIN-WIN way. With our alternative plan we think there is a WAY.

The organizations involved are:

a) Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)

b) Penang Heritage Trust (PHT)

c) Malaysian Travel and Trade Associations (MATTA)

d) Penang Tourist Guides Associations (PTGA)

e) Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (MACMA)

f) Penang Inshore Fishermens' Welfare Association (PIFWA)

g) Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)

h) Consumer Association of Penang (CAP)

i) Friends of the Penang Botanic Gardens (FOPBG)

j) Baiqi Koay Community

Over 100 leading environmental and heritage persons, locally and internationally, have signed on a petition to request the State Government of Penang to reconsider the project.

We urge the Government to seriously consider the alternative concept plan that we have submitted. We are not against development but we all, as a progressive community, looking to Vision 2020, should not tolerate 'BAD' development.

We like to work with the government for a WIN-WIN for ALL PENANG.

The reputation of PENANG as a HERITAGE CENTRE is SERIOUSLY AT STAKE.

The support group also launches a book today on "The Endangered Koay Jetty" in 3 languages: Malay, Chinese and English.

In the meantime, we urge the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) or Penang City Council to investigate fully this project before approval.

Dato' (Dr.) Anwar Fazal

Spokesperson for Koay Jetty and Mangrove Preservation Support Group

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Koay Jetty was demolished in 2006 and the entire community was uprooted and dispersed. On 8th March 2008, the opposition party Democratic Action Party overthrown the rulling Barisan Nasional Party and won both the parliamentary & state assembly seats in this area. On 8th July, 2008, the remaining 7 Clan Jetties, namely Ong, Lim, Chew, Tan, Lee, Mixed Surname and Yeoh were declared as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The images of the bygone Koay Jetty can now be seen in the Pictorial and Interpretative Centre located inside the Chew Jetty's community hall.

For further information, please write to: clement@UNSWalumni.com