Citizen Awareness Chant (CHANT) group adviser Yan Lee said the bungalows, most of which are at least a century old, should be kept in their original state for posterity.

He urged the state government to form a special technical review panel to oversee the renovation of the bungalows.

“We are not against development, but we want development done properly. Penang Hill is the jewel of our crown,” he said at a press conference.

Last December, the state government announced major makeover plans for the hill station, as part of the Penang Hill Special Area Plan (SAP), which includes repurposing several bungalows into hotels.

Besides a mammoth flagstaff, helipad and four-storey food court, a walkway circling the present Astaka extending upwards to the mosque and temple on higher ground would be built as part of the SAP.

Iconic bungalows will also be repurposed as lodges.

The state government had said last November that four such bungalows would be converted into 200 to 300-room hotels.

Non-governmental organisations have expressed concern over the plans, especially their impact on the hill’s holding capacity. The SAP envisages a maximum of 4,800 visitors a day.

They have also protested against a proposal for a cable car project from the Botanic Gardens to complement the Swiss-made funicular railway, which is running above capacity. The cable car project has been included in the 2021 SAP.