GEORGE TOWN, Sept 19 — Four of the clan jetties along Weld Quay will be given a RM650,000 facelift starting next month.

Tanjung MP Lim Hui Ying said she has allocated RM650,000 from her constituency fund to upgrade the heritage jetties.

She said the jetties — Tan, Lee, Yeoh and New Jetties — were in dire need of upgrading as some of the wooden planks were old and decaying.

"Some of these jetties were last upgraded almost ten years ago, such as Lee Jetty, the last upgrade was in 2015,” she told reporters after visiting the clan jetties today following reports of damage at the jetties due to storms in the last four days.

Last year, Chew Jetty and Lim Jetty were upgraded so now, the remaining four jetties will also be upgraded, she said.

She said the upgrading works are expected to start in October or November.

"Due to the recent storms, I may allocate more funds to repair the damages in Chew and Tan Jetties,” she said.

The clan jetties that stretch offshore, jutting out in the sea, were built in the 1900s.

Fishermen used to live in wooden homes along these jetties, according to their respective "clan” which is by their surnames of Tan, Chew, Lim, Yeoh and Lee.

The New Jetty was previously known as the mixed clan jetty where residents of different surnames lived.

There used to be a Koay Jetty but that was demolished to make way for development almost two decades ago.

Today, the clan jetties which are part of George Town’s intangible heritage have become popular tourist attractions.