City Marking

I have an interesting discourse with friends on Marking Georgetown last weekend. We discussed about the challenges and uniqueness of Georgetown for her to declare as an UNESCO heritage site. We thought the former Strait State rich with many old buildings is lively with the presence of living community and legacy. We wondered what will happen if local people leave the streets and shop houses in the inner city of Georgetown. Without life and activities, Georgetown is "dead" and hence the status is "lost". Thus, we thought while making commercially viable project in this heritage site is critical so that the owners and investors are convinced to stay put and to convert their buildings into heritage-related venture, to make sure that local community is staying put is equally important, or more critical. Tourists are attracted to an historical site as they offer many stories to tell or culture to present. If a site is so artificially created without the opportunity for interaction between local residents and tourists, the attraction will be faded sooner or later.

I personally think in deciding what to mark about Georgetown, the participation and involvement of the local community is pertinent. Local community has to be given the opportunity to voice their ideas and desires, to plan what they want to co-exist with the development or even to adopt and adjust their life living next to the outsiders, to implement programmes and projects together and of course to bear responsibility in making Georgetown live up to its reputation.