Wong Chin Huat, a former Penang Institute fellow, said prior to the establishment of George Town, the island’s northeastern tip was populated by Malays.
He said during the colonial years the Chinese and Indians began to outnumber the Malays. Rising house prices and the cost of living saw the Malays gradually move out of the island post-independence, he added.
The proposed enclave would help make it affordable for the Malay community to return, said Wong.
“Such an initiative would attract those who work on the island but choose to live on the mainland due to high rents.
“The cost of living, however, is not limited to just housing, so those who would likely grab this opportunity would be ones from the higher income category,” he told FMT.
The Penang Malay Association (Pemenang) was reported to have suggested that land in the Datuk Keramat-Jalan Perak-Jalan Pattani area be developed to bring about 10,000 Malay residents into George Town.
Pemenang was reported to have drafted a five-year plan to enable Malay families of various backgrounds and occupations to return to the island, having been forced to seek housing elsewhere due to the island’s high property prices.
Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow has called for detailed information. He said the state government would not discourage any party from developing land in Penang to increase property ownership among Bumiputeras.
Wong said such an initiative would help mitigate concerns among Malay nationalists about the racial make-up of the area.
“The Malay nationalists are of the opinion that Malays should not ‘disappear’ from urban areas.
“And the governments and the ruling Malay politicians are often blamed for not doing enough to reverse the trend,” he said, adding that an increased Malay population on the island would not have any bearing on voting patterns in George Town.
Wong also suggested that the land earmarked be referred to as “wakaf” rather than an “enclave”, as the latter term connotes “isolation” and “a somewhat unfriendly surrounding”.
Meanwhile, the state’s local government and town and country planning executive councillor Jason H’ng confirmed that the proposed enclave will be within a zone designated for residential and commercial use.
He said the area identified by Pemenang in the Penang Structural Plan allows for residential and commercial development. It is presently populated by a number of small-scale industries, he said.
“Jalan Patani is mostly commercial now, but residential buildings are also allowed.”