Kampung Siam, a 200-year-old settlement in Penang with Siamese and Burmese ancestry, is being demolished to make way for development. The residents, who fought for over 11 years in court to stay, lost their case as the courts ruled that the landowners have the right to develop the property. The settlement, located near two Buddhist temples, once housed around 10 homes but is now down to a few. One resident, Nai Boon Phrom Sararaksh, held a garage sale to part with antiques from his 180-year-old house before it is bulldozed. The area’s heritage is important to Nai Boon, but he is unsure if it will be preserved in the new development. Local assemblyman Joshua Woo emphasized the importance of traffic management and ensuring that new construction respects the historical context of the area. The land, originally given to pioneers by Queen Victoria in 1845, was earmarked for development in 2014 after a joint venture between the landowners and a developer.

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