Chow (left) and Hamdan at the launch of Fort Cornwallis’ south moat in George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
THE restoration of the south moat at Fort Cornwallis in George Town, Penang, is complete, but it will not be open to the public until the west moat is ready.
Think City managing director Hamdan Abdul Majeed said both moats were scheduled to open simultaneously in July 2025.
“Restoration of the west moat is still ongoing. On July 7 next year, we will do a full opening for the moats,” he told reporters during a launch at the site held in conjunction with George Town World Heritage Day.
Hamdan added that traditional construction systems and materials, similar to those used in the original construction, were applied in the reconstruction.
“All elements are built on-site within a grid of individual modules to ensure structural stability and long-term resilience.
“The moat’s ecology is based on a hybrid filtration system that uses a mechanical sand filter inside the water basin and a plant-based bioretention swale – a shallow channel or waterway – between the edge of the moat and the outer glacis, or artificial slope, wall.
“Restoring a large part of the moat to its original, fully functioning state will contribute to improving the larger drainage system of the Esplanade and Fort,” he said.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was present at the launch, said between 2019 and 2021, several components of the Fort Cornwallis project were completed, which saw RM4.6mil spent on excavation works and conservation of storerooms.
“These are part of the North Seafront Improvement Programme, encompassing 14 projects and totalling about RM140mil,” he said.
Chow added that the hoarding around the site of the south moat, which used to block off public view during restoration work, had been removed.
Instead, he said an anti-climb fence had been installed for people to view the site.
The RM20mil restoration initiative is spearheaded by George Town Conservation and Development Corporation, a partnership between Penang government’s Chief Minister Incorporated and Think City, with technical advice from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The project is guided by the George Town World Heritage Site (WHS) Special Area Plan and the Fort Cornwallis Conservation Management Plan.
The long-term plan for the fort is to transform it into a premier tourist attraction in George Town and a destination for locals to learn about the city’s history.
This will be fortified with the completion of the west moat and Fort Museum.
Fort Cornwallis is a Category I listed building of federal relevance under the care of National Heritage Department (JWN).
It was built on the northeastern tip of Penang island, close to where Sir Francis Light was said to have first come ashore after taking possession of the island.
It was named after Charles Cornwallis, the second Earl Cornwallis who was governor-general of Bengal in India at the time.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, state local government, town and country planning committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye and Penang island mayor Datuk A. Rajendran.
