Work on Guar Kepah site almost complete, says Penang CM

GEORGE TOWN: Work on the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery is almost complete and it is scheduled to be ready in June, says Chow Kon Yeow.

The Penang Chief Minister said progress at the site has so far reached 94% completion.

“Progress is on track and we expect it to be completed in June,” he said after the presentation of mock cheques to recipients of the heritage building category one repair incentives at Komtar here on Monday (April 29).

Chow said upon completion of the gallery, the state government could bring back the 41 skeletons unearthed in Guar Kepah on the mainland.

He said the remains can then be preserved at the completed gallery.

The skeletons were excavated by British archaeologists between 1851 and 1934, and are said to be between 5,000 and 6,000 years old, representing an ancient era.

The skeletons were sent to Europe to be studied as there were no experts in Malaysia, but Malaysian archaeologists are now capable of learning from the skeletons, so Penang wants them back.

Chow, however, said since the process of bringing back the skeletons involved government-to-government talks between Malaysia and the Netherlands, there was still work to be done.

He said there will be a presentation to the Cabinet to enable the skeletons to be brought back and displayed at the gallery.

He said if all goes well, the state government expected to open the gallery to the public soon.

He said with the completion of Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery,the northern region will have a network of archaeological sites to be explored by archaeology enthusiasts.

“In Penang we have the Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery and Fort Cornwallis while in neighbouring Kedah, we have the Bujang Valley, and the Lenggong Valley in Perak,” he said.

He added that if all this can be packaged together, it will be something exciting for archaeology lovers to explore.

He said it will be good if the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) can work something out to make the network happen and contribute to the region’s economic growth.

In another update, Chow said the iconic Penang State Museum in Farquhar Street, which is currently undergoing restoration work, is expected to open in May.

He said this will be in conjunction with International Museum Day which Penang will host.

“Currently the work in the exterior of the museum has been completed, now the renovation work by the Public Works Department (JKR) is focused on the interior of the museum,” he said.

He said the completion of the state museum will enable Penang to host International Museum Day, which is celebrated on May 18 every year.

The 203-year-old state museum building has been closed since 2017.

It was originally scheduled to be completed in 2020 but work was hampered by the pandemic.

The RM20mil project is being carried out by the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation under an initiative called the Museum and Art Gallery Network.