AMONG THE COUNTRY'S FINEST ASSETS ARE THE MULTITUDE OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS THAT OFFER VISITORS AND LOCALS A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST. SADLY, TOO MANY OF THESE OLD STRUCTURES DISAPPEAR IN THE NAME OF DEVELOPMENT AND MODERNITY. PAT FAMA FINDS OUT WHAT CHALLENGES FACE THOSE LOOKING TO RESTORE HERITAGE BUILDINGS AND WHICH PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SUCCEEDING IN THE EFFORT TO SAVE MALAYSIA'S PAST.

One of the treats of travelling to exotic foreign lands is imagining what it would be like to live there full time, particularly if it's cold and grey back home. A familiar trigger for this fantasy is seeing a dilapidated building which, with the right owner (i.e., you), and heaps of tender loving care, could make a fabulous home.

The good news for anyone prone to such daydreams is that Malaysia is full of beautiful old structures, many in a sorry state of disrepair.These buildings fall into three main categories: colonial mansions, Chinese shophouses, and traditional Malay bungalows. With sympathetic restoration, all three would suit a range of uses, from comfortable private dwellings to boutique guesthouses. The bad news is that turning the fantasy into a reality in Malaysia is a long, hard slog. Elizabeth Cardosa, Executive Director of Badan Warisan (the Malaysian Heritage Trust),explains that there are several major challenges facing restoration projects in Malaysia, not least the prevailing popular attitudes:

"There is still a bias against traditional/ heritage buildings. Heritage is often represented in the media and in overall general commentary as ‘old fashioned' and impeding development and progress. There is also very limited research into traditional building technology and this is compounded by limited professional knowledge among architects. "Other issues include greatly diminished craftsmanship skills among contractors, carpenters, and builders, which often results in inappropriate use of modern materials for repair work, as well as the high cost of maintenance and diminishing availability of traditional materials for repair."

Public attitudes towards heritage preservation are slowly changing in Malaysia, but a depressing number of historic structures are still levelled every year to make way for modern commercial and residential developments. Recognising the tourist potential of heritage is key to saving as much as possible of what is left.

There is no clearer sign of the merit of restoration than in the transformation that has taken place in George Town since it gained UNESCO World Heritage Status (together with Melaka) in 2008. Decades of decay and neglect in the city's historic core have been replaced with a heartening picture of renewal. Across George Town, historic buildings – both large and small – are being brought back to life, and not just in the official UNESCO Heritage area. What has no doubt been a big boost to the restoration boom in George Town is The George Town Grants Programme (GTGP), an innovative scheme that has been running since 2009, awarding public funds to deserving urban regeneration projects. The GTGP has assigned RM12.9 million so far, the majority of it for physical conservation work, with RM7.1 million still to be awarded before next September. Restored house at Temple Tree Supported projects include everything Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion guest wing from restoring a row of shophouses to repairing a temple roof.

UNESCO Heritage status aside, plenty of restoration was carried out before 2008, as gems like Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and Suffolk House amply attest. Though it cannot be assumed that George Town is now immune to losing historic buildings to the wrecking ball, the last four years have seen a sea change in attitudes to Penang's built heritage. For Cardosa, the challenge is to extend that progress beyond the recognised UNESCO sites:

"While these positive changes appear to be growing among more urban communities, especially in areas which have achieved some kind of international recognition for their heritage assets such as Melaka and George Town, we hope that we will see this spread to other communities, especially those in smaller towns and rural environments. We also hope that they will recognise and protect their local heritage assets." Restoring a heritage property is often a labour of love, and so the trend is that dedicated individuals and NGOs take this challenge on rather more often than corporations and public bodies. Passion is certainly important, but as expected, along with inspiration there has to be plenty of perspiration, as well.

Another increasing necessity, given spiralling land and property prices, is for restoration projects to make financial sense. This is particularly true of central KL, where only those with particularly deep pockets could afford to buy and restore a derelict building for use as a private home. This is why so many of the city's restored pre-war bungalows and shophouses are now used as restaurants, bars, or guesthouses.

There is certainly money to be made from old-world charm, as shown by the number of new heritage hotels which have opened over recent years, but not everyone wants to run a business out of their dream house. Small scale non-commercial restorations could be aided by a roll-out of the GTGP nationwide, while introducing effective legal protection for heritage buildings would help moderate land and property prices.

Cardosa welcomes the growth of privately funded restoration projects, and sees this as a sign of the deepening understanding of the value of heritage, as well the willingness on the part of owners to enhance their properties. She adds that Badan Warisan is on hand to help make sure restoration projects go as smoothly as possible: "We have a Resource Centre which has a wealth of technical documentation and is open to the public. We also have a consultancy service with a multidisciplinary team of conservationists drawn from our membership. We are always happy to provide basic advice on heritage ‘best practices' to individuals or companies who are embarking on restoration projects and who are seeking information or direction for their projects."

So should you fall madly in love with a neglected historic building, help is at hand to turn your dream into a reality. Or, like all the best holiday romances, you could always decide that what happens in Malaysia stays in Malaysia.