The party’s Kebun Bunga Coordinator Team said the project, called Padang Tembak 50, would serve to recollect memories as well as reconnect people, who are part of the Padang Tembak fabric, especially those who used to live here or are currently residing here.

Constituency coordinator Ooi Zhi Yi said that one of the main objectives is to understand the people and its culture.

From there, it wants to obtain feedback and ideas on how to make Padang Tembak a better community.

“In conjunction with Chinese New Year, when many of our families come back for the reunion, we would like to encourage people to look back into the stories of Padang Tembak, especially photographs, and tell us about it.

“Padang Tembak has also managed to produce many successful people. We would like to invite them to tell us their success stories, to give hope and motivation.

“Generally, we want to encourage anyone from any background to come and share with us their stories, memories and history of the Padang Tembak flats,” he said at a press conference today.

For the purpose of the project, the team has launched its website www.padangtembak.com for people to submit their contributions or get more information. The project also has a page on Facebook and Instagram.

Participants are welcome to share their memories through photographs, videos and stories, as well as share feedback and ideas on how the Padang Tembak community can be uplifted.

“The Padang Tembak flats have been home to many generations of Penangites over the past 50 years and, hence, it is made up of not only buildings, but memories and stories.

“As one of the earliest high-rise low-cost homes in Penang, thousands of people have stayed there, moving in and out.

“It is a unique community with its specific culture. But more than 40 years down the road, the infrastructure is worn out and needs upgrading and revitalisation,” Ooi said.

The Padang Tembak flats (Rifle Range flats), one of the state’s earliest low-cost housing projects, were completed in the early 1970s.

It is known as Pak Cheng Por in Hokkien, which is a direct translation of the words “rifle range”, reflective of when the place was used for target practices in the 1950s.

The flats comprise a total of nine high-rise blocks, each with 17 floors.