Ousted Penang Museum Curator makes a Comeback.

Ex-Penang Museum curator Khoo Boo Chia shows why he is still the authority in the field of heritage conservation in this country when his latest museum project at Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi was opened to rapturous applauses (The Starmetro, Rich history of a clan, May 27, 2009).

Khoo made the headlines in 2006 when he was 'forced' to vacate his post in Penang Museum(The Sun, March 24, 06 and also read blog entry - June 16, 2008) after he fell out of favor with the then BN councilman in charge of cultural and heritage affairs in Penang.

Although Khoo was not formally charged of any wrongdoings but it was an open secret that the vocal politician from UMNO was not pleased with Khoo and his work at the state museum.

According to reliable sources, Khoo was ‘guilty’ of failing to use his good office to project Penang’s multi cultural facets in the museum. The exhibits in the state museum was deemed too pro-Georgetown which is prominently Chinese and lacked features of Malay majority in Prai.

Hence, he was axed and replaced by his then young and inexperienced assistant curator.

Fortunately, the 2006 fallout has turned into a blessing for Khoo and he could devote himself wholeheartedly to the preservation of Georgetown historical enclave without having to make consensus or worst – being accused of cultural balkanization in the Pearl of Orient.

In just a short span of a few years and the verdict is out.

Today, Khoo’s forte in the preservation field is vindicated again.

He has left many of his personal touches in the RM400,000 project to refurbish Leong San Tong Museum and it could present itself as a worthy opponent to the Penang State Museum in a stiff competition to draw in the crowd.

The state government is also quick to proclaim the site to have good chance to be the state’s next biggest treasure chest.

Topping the icing for Khoo on that memorable evening is when he received commendation for his remarkable work from the Chief Minister of Penang himself when the latter turned up to grace the opening.