Early-morning fire destroys five business premises at Penang’s Chew Jetty heritage area

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 5 — Five businesses located at the historic Chew Jetty heritage area were destroyed in an early-morning fire. According to Rosli Ibrahim, operations officer for Northeast District Zone 1, no injuries were reported. The Penang Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call at 1.08 am, and firefighters arrived at the scene approximately two minutes later.

As of 3 am, the blaze was still under control, but the firefighting efforts continued. The swift actions of the firefighters helped prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby petrol station and residential areas.

The fire engulfed a car workshop, welding shop, and timber factory, among others. It took a team of 30 personnel from the Paya Terubong, Jalan Perak, and Lebuh Pantai fire and rescue stations, along with 17 volunteer firefighters, Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) personnel, and police to tackle the incident. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still under investigation.

Victim Toh Aik Aun, a 50-year-old resident, lost his 30-year-old t-shirt printing business in the fire. Another victim, Hong Jing Lian, 60, lost his car painting shop that had been operating since 1997, with estimated losses amounting to RM1 million. The lost vehicles included a Suzuki Swift, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and a BMW. Chew Jetty, situated along George Town’s historic waterfront, is Penang’s oldest Chinese clan jetty and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.