THE National Heritage Department was never consulted by the developer that demolished a colonial-style bungalow in Fraser’s Hill last month, said Mesran Mohd Yusop.

The director-general told the New Straits Times that the agency was shocked to learn about the demolition of the building.

“We are saddened as a heritage building on the hill station is now gone. We (the department) might not be able to do much as the building is privately owned, but if the department had been consulted, we would have been able to provide feedback.

“The department was informed that 15 agencies were called for a meeting before the demolition began.

“Unfortunately, we were not among those invited for the session. The building had a lot of heritage value,” he said at a recent event in Sg Pahang in Kg Pulau Maulana.

Previously, The Malaysian Insight reported that residents in Fraser’s Hill are against the construction of a 14-storey resort and spa building being developed by a private company.

They said the development will cause damage to the environment at the highland and poses a danger to the people as it is a landslide-prone area.

The English-style bungalow was an old Maybank lodge build in the 1960s. Another building that was demolished was the abandoned Jelai Resort next to the Maybank lodge.

Mesran said the Maybank lodge building is an “architectural rarity” and that, although some old buildings are not gazetted under the National Heritage Act 2005 (Act 645), they can still be protected by the local government.

“The National Heritage Department hopes that local authorities will protect heritage buildings or sites under the local instrument of protection, such the special area plan or local plan.

“People should understand that the responsibility for the preservation and protection of heritage buildings or sites is not solely under the National Heritage Department, but also the state, local government, community and individuals.

“Even owners are responsible for ensuring their heritage buildings or sites are preserved. This is based on Section 42 of the National Heritage Act 2005,” the English daily quoted Mesran as saying.

Under Section 42 of the National Heritage Act 2005, the owner of a heritage site is responsible to keep it in a good state and that the national heritage commissioner can take action to ensure that this is complied with, in keeping with heritage values of the building.

Last Thursday, Raub district officer Mohammad Shahid Ismail had said the developer has been issued a stop-work order and told to consult the Department of Environment on technical aspects of the new design.

The developer, however, said the stop-work order was to allow features and design of the new building to be in harmony with the old English feel of the hill station. – August 16, 2020.