Tanjong Tokong to be preserved as oldest Malay village

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture will be holding a meeting with relevant bodies in efforts to preserve and revive Tanjong Tokong, one of the oldest Malay villages in Penang.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the meeting will involve UDA Holdings Berhad, the National Heritage Department, the Penang Malay Association (Pemenang), the State government and history experts.

"I have asked former Balik Pulau member of Parliament Yusmadi Yussof to discuss the matter with the State government. Since Pakatan Rakyat is the ruling party here it is an act of good will to get the support from the state government.

"We should also have something like China Town and Little India here, and will look into this," he told reporters after the ministry's Aidilfitri open house here Saturday night.

He said he has asked the Department of National Heritage to step in regarding the Kampung Tanjong Tokong issue to ensure a heritage site was available in the area.

"This would help us generate future tourism revenue," he added.

Nazri said foreign tourist arrivals had increased by seven per cent in the first half of this year.