Penang: The Penang government has approved a plot of land in Vision Park, Bertam, Kepala Batas for the construction of the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Gallery, recognizing the contributions and legacy of the former Prime Minister.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow announced that the National Archives of Malaysia had visited the site, and the state government will hand it over to them for the gallery’s construction. This initiative follows a proposal from Bertam state assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican to establish a memorial gallery for Pak Lah in his hometown of Kepala Batas.

Chow stated, “A Pak Lah gallery project is being initiated and land selection has also been finalized. We will hand it over to the National Archives of Malaysia to realize it.” The chosen site in Vision Park, Kepala Batas, holds significance as Tun Abdullah served as the Kepala Batas Member of Parliament.

The announcement was made after the renaming ceremony of Lebuhraya Bandar Cassia to Jalan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Bandar Cassia. The event was attended by Tun Abdullah’s son, Tan Sri Kamaluddin, Reezal Merican, state executive councillors, and UMNO leaders. The renaming of the 5.45-kilometre road is a tribute to the services of the late Tun Abdullah and reflects the state government’s respect.

Chow added that Bandar Cassia was envisioned by the late Tun Abdullah as a new town in Batu Kawan and has now become a strategic destination for foreign investors, contributing to the state’s economic growth. He suggested that the road from Batu Kawan to Nibong Tebal, connecting Batu Kawan Industrial Park (BKIP 2), also be named Jalan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Reezal Merican mentioned that the gallery would house personal items and collections, including photographs of the nation’s fifth Prime Minister, who passed away on April 14 at the age of 85. The gallery is planned on a 0.8-hectare plot, with Reezal Merican seeking federal government allocations for its construction to ensure it becomes a lasting legacy.

Kamaluddin expressed gratitude for the state government’s efforts to rename Lebuhraya Bandar Cassia after his late father, appreciating the plans for the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Gallery in Kepala Batas.

Tun Abdullah, who served as the Kepala Batas Member of Parliament for eight consecutive terms from 1978 to 2013, passed away at the National Heart Institute (IJN) due to respiratory complications.