HERITAGE activist Khoo Salma Nasution has done many things; in fact, it takes over 10 minutes just to read her detailed profile on the Areca Books website.

The 54-year-old fifth generation Penang Peranakan is an award-winning author who has written and co-written 15 books on Penang and Perak, social history, cultural heritage and sustainable development; as well as an editor and partner at publishing house Areca Books.

Her 2014 book “The Chulia in Penang: Patronage and Place-Making around the Kapitan Keling Mosque 1786-1857” won the 2015 International Convention of Asia Scholars Colleague’s Choice Award.

She has written articles for scholarly journals, magazines, newsletters and conferences, and has pioneered the production of heritage maps in Malaysia since 1992.

The former president of Penang Heritage Trust from 2009 to 2015 is perhaps best identified as a heritage conservation champion, and now she has added another feather to her cap as Penang Island City’s newest councillor.

Appointed in January, she is bringing her experience, knowledge and expertise in heritage conservation, Penang’s history, and sustainability to the council in hopes of making the island better for its residents.

“The councillor job is ideal for me,” Salma told The Malaysian Insight in a recent interview at her Areca Books office on Lebuh Acheh, as she recounted her long-forgotten ambition to serve in the city council.

Years ago, she had wanted to run for councillor if there were local elections in Penang, but as the polls were never revived, she eventually forgot about it and moved on with life – getting married and raising her children.

Her chance to serve came when Penang Forum – an NGO umbrella body, in which PHT was a member – nominated her to sit on the council during a meeting last December.

“I wasn’t there. I found out when a fellow member texted to congratulate me. I then learned that five people including myself were nominated. Four declined.

“After considering it, I accepted the nomination, thinking that it would be interesting,” said the mother of three, who is one of four NGO representatives in the councillor line-up this year.

Salma replaced the critical and outspoken Dr Lim Mah Hui, who had declined re-nomination by Penang Forum for the 2017 term after serving six years.

Lim courted controversy last year after he sent a letter to Unesco to highlight concerns that the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) – the ambitious RM46 billion comprehensive transport plan to solve Penang’s traffic woes – would put George Town’s world heritage site status at risk.

He was criticised by politicians, his fellow councillors and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, and was called a liar, backstabber and traitor.

When Mah Hui declined to be reappointed to the council, he reportedly said he no longer wanted to serve “because the change in Penang that we want doesn’t seem to be happening”.

Penang Forum also had run-ins with authorities in recent years when it highlighted the degradation of hills in the state and criticised the PTMP.

Last year, the NGO started an online petition on change.org to get the Penang government to adopt a “Better, Cheaper, Faster Penang Transport Master Plan using BRT (bus rapid transit) and trams as the preferred mode of public transport”.

The PTMP has a combination of seven different modes of transportation – roads, light rail transit, monorail, tram, BRT/feeder buses, cable cars and water transportation.

Firm stand against PTMP

Salma herself has openly criticised the PTMP, which the DAP-led state government is committed to see take off.

“I recently submitted 50 questions to the council on the PTMP. No answers yet,” she said.

Salma said the PTMP was outdated, arguing that the authorities should be looking at the latest trends, not mega-project strategies.

The master plan, with its proposed Penang South Reclamation – three man-made islands off the southern coast of the island to be auctioned off by the state to fund the projects – was overblown, she said.

“We read everywhere that European cities are lowering their carbon emissions, thinking of climate change.

“Penang’s people can’t live in a bubble and think climate change won’t affect them for many years to come. We also have a duty to lower our carbon emission.

“If the state is still open to dialogue, I think we can still improve the master plan. We need a master plan, but a better, faster and cheaper one,” she said.

Salma also said the Penang Transport Council – an advisory body constituted by the Penang State Executive Council to improve transportation in the state – should work on good solutions to improve the mobility of people, not vehicles.

Defending George Town’s heritage

Inheriting Lim’s portfolios, Salma is a member of three standing committees – development planning, infrastructure and traffic, and finance.

With her background, her favourite sub-committees are heritage and building control, landscaping and sustainable transport, she said.

Her peers from the heritage circle will naturally expect her to do more to ensure heritage conservation, now that she is a council “insider”.

One of the first issues she is working on is allegations by the George Town Heritage Action (GTHA) group that certain renovation works have failed to comply with the stringent heritage requirements and standards.

Salma, who had in the past also criticised state authorities over heritage conservation issues, said she watches the postings on the GTHA’s account for alerts herself.

“We won’t know whether the works are legal or not. We forward the photos to the council’s Heritage Conservation Department to investigate.

“If we know that no permit was given, the building inspector would be sent to investigate and issue a stop-work order,” she said.

Salma said several stop-work orders were issued in March over illegal works and for using the wrong building materials, like cement instead of lime.

“We don’t have a 100% success rate, but a lot of illegal works get reported and are followed up with action,” she said, adding that officers from the department do their rounds regularly.

The facilitator

Sharing some insights into her position, Salma said she played an intermediary role, passing questions and complaints from the people to the council.

“It is like being a complaints bureau of sorts. It is easy these days with apps like WhatsApp,” she said.

With the help of her contacts from residents associations and Penang Forum, which has members with expertise in various fields, she could forward the people’s views, suggestions and questions to MBPP.

“They may be questions and concerns on the pruning of trees, hill clearings and other matters. I will forward them to the council for further action.

“I try to facilitate the council’s responsiveness to public complaints. It is my job to check and get action taken,” she said.

Salma said while making herself useful, she was learning a lot about being a councillor and about the MBPP culture.

“It is interesting learning how the council and its different departments work, as well as why some ideas can be implemented and some can’t.

“I am also getting along with the Mayor (Patahiyah Ismail) and the other councillors,” she said.

Apart from the four NGO representatives, the other 20 councillors are from DAP, PKR and Amanah – political parties that make up the Pakatan Harapan administration. – April 8, 2017.