In a statement today, CMI deputy general manager Bharathi Suppiah said the ongoing construction work at the open space beside Fort Cornwallis were conservation efforts carried out by George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), a state government-linked company.

The area in front of the fort will be enhanced through a moat reconstruction, conservation of the fort wall and bastion, and landscaping, she said.

Bharathi said the Penang government and Think City had been funding the ongoing conservation works at a cost of RM15 million.

“The project will be completed by the end of 2021,” she added.

Yesterday, Citizen Awareness Chant Group (CHANT) adviser Yan Lee called on the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to clarify if the state government planned to build a multi-storey car park next to Fort Cornwallis.